I'm aware of a few subtle hints that our leader likes Star Trek, at least fake Star Trek...why fake?
I heard a rumor that you like the Commander/Captain from Star Trek: Babylon 5, but where's the evidence of that?you mean him?
I heard a rumor that you like the Commander/Captain from Star Trek: Babylon 5, but where's the evidence of that?
It holds up to re-watching better than B5; that, I liked a lot the first time, but can't get interested once I know how it'll end. Good show, but written with all the subtlety of a 12 year-old with a sledgehammer.
Hi! I'm BUncle's sister. He told me he'd posted some of my trek pictures here and encouraged me to visit and post myself. Here's a 7 of 9 model I created for one of my friends last summerVery nice job, and it looks like her. You especially nailed the mouth.
Hi! I'm BUncle's sister. He told me he'd posted some of my trek pictures here and encouraged me to visit and post myself. Here's a 7 of 9 model I created for one of my friends last summer
My point is not about Stewart, but about PICARD as a character. He's just not as interesting, and is more of the stable backdrop against which the stories are told. Many episodes where he's the actual main lead suffer since they never defined his character. A few he does admirable on, yes (like the one where he's captured), but the character as a whole just SUCKS.It's all part of the same thing. Shatner began playing the exact same character as Captian Pike, writing-wise, but being a charming theater veteran and showman, didn't take it as seriously, adding a human, humorous touch that influenced the writing - and frankly, had everything to do with the quality of the show, breaking, as it did, from the tired sci-fi cliche' of the square-jawed ernest leader. The Captain Kirk of the second season had evolved to fit the actor's style, and was no longer just Pike renamed - all shows go through this.
I think watching the sleezy/hokey ads for the show predisposed me against it. Also, it suffered from being stunningly un-ambitious. The makers really didn't seem concerned about doing anything other than beefing up their franchise. Didn't really stake out any new territory for this one.
It's all part of the same thing. Shatner began playing the exact same character as Captian Pike, writing-wise, but being a charming theater veteran and showman, didn't take it as seriously, adding a human, humorous touch that influenced the writing - and frankly, had everything to do with the quality of the show, breaking, as it did, from the tired sci-fi cliche' of the square-jawed ernest leader. The Captain Kirk of the second season had evolved to fit the actor's style, and was no longer just Pike renamed - all shows go through this.
So no, I think I'm exactly on track to lay a lot of it on Stewart - that he didn't blow hacky song-and-dance prettyboy Frakes off the screen like he was Al Pachino schooling Keanus Reeves in The Devils Advocate says to me that he wasn't trying. He's not nearly so good an actor as his reputation would have it, but he is accomplished, thought the gig was beneath him, phoned it in a lot of weeks, and put him with a writing staff out of their dept, you get dull character. On anything that runs long, the actors generally become the supreme guardians of their characters - this is especailly true of the star. I think Stewart didn't care enough to fight for Picard; the checks cleared and as long as he didn't humilate himself any more than he did just by showing up, it was all good to him.
That it was a failure of the writing goes without saying - but the writing was so bad I don't expect anything of the writers. It's sad that Riker grew more as a charcter toward the end of the run than Picard. I bet I can guess why.
I hate when innerwebs nerdz start specualting about strangers' motivations, and now I'm doing it all over.
Now Luke Skywalker was - actually Flash Gordon's son. Flash went bad, you see - something Ming did to him...
I thought these might be fun to share. After I'd done a few pictures of T'Pol, a couple folks began to complain about her uniform -- which really doesn't look like anything else they ever show Vulcans wearing -- and wonder what she'd look like in the regular ENT uniform. So I did this picture...Uniform's close, but (characteristically) too tight, especially compared to all the times she did wear it on the show, and somewhat off-model... Not a bad likeness, though.
I see that I'm getting lots of views, but very few comments. Fellas, you don't have to be like my brother and tell me what I did wrong. A thumbs-up smile will do nicely... or a "I wish Jolene Blalock was my wife" smiley, if you've got one and are so moved...
Youn always get a lot of views and little comments. Your pin-up work is genuinely hot, and makes us pasty-white nerdz feel funny. :)
Now do Pieces of 8 Vulcans making out with -- wassisnerd - Garret Wang.
I see that I'm getting lots of views, but very few comments. Fellas, you don't have to be like my brother and tell me what I did wrong. A thumbs-up smile will do nicely... or a "I wish Jolene Blalock was my wife" smiley, if you've got one and are so moved...
If you've read through various threads here and on unmentionable SMAC-related forums you already know that I'm your biggest fan (or should it be greatest? I mean the one not related to how much of my body consists of fat). As for the wife part... Well, who could resist a woman with pointy ears?
No. You know I don't go in for that stuff.Youn always get a lot of views and little comments. Your pin-up work is genuinely hot, and makes us pasty-white nerdz feel funny. :)
Now do Pieces of 8 Vulcans making out with -- wassisnerd - Garret Wang.
I don't have a Harry Kim morph right now. The only Voyager faces I have are 7 of 9 and Janeway. You don't want to see her making out with them, do you?
I can do that! :DI'm familiar with the group, and it's a great bunch of people, mostly very talented. I strongly endorse checking it out, if you like that kind of thing.
To see more of my art, please visit my site at Deviant Art: http://mylochka.deviantart.com/ (http://mylochka.deviantart.com/)
To see more excellent 3d Trek Art, visit the Star Trek Artists Unite! group: http://startrekartistsunite.deviantart.com/ (http://startrekartistsunite.deviantart.com/)
I was catching up with the Star Trek: Phase II episodes the other night while I had too much of a headache to work. They've replaced the little cutie playing Chekov :'( but have a new Spock who doesn't look like a pixie ;) They also have a new Kirk :-* who doesn't look like an Elvis impersonator.This is a new season of what they called The New Voyages before? I don't like the name change, as Phase II was something else.
Here's a commercial for their upcoming season: [Spoiler to Make You Watch This Clip - They have Arex at the end :D] Star Trek Phase II - 04xV4 - Going Boldly - Subtitles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xim_PuEgRRc#ws)
Hooray! I have a fan! I have a fan!you have many more. they're just too shy to make a post in this thread. ;)
I kind of like that they're going full-out Phase II, because I'd like to see some of those scripts... although we did see versions of those scripts in TNG and TMP... They did "The Child" which is a Phase II scriptEh. I'd sorta rather see them do their own stuff - although they've shown that their own stories aren't a lot better than you'd expect from a fan production...
It's watchable... even interesting in spots. I'd be happy for them to go in this direction.
It's a helpful tip for getting SMAC(X) leaders into the ballpark - I think I told you for Aki to think sorta Michelle Pfifer with some Helen Mirren...
For the attachment, I wish I had the pic I worked from, that I found on an AC forum - it was very badly done and without any background, while below is my first-ever major redraw to make a leaderhead. What I worked from barely looked alien at all, just bald. I drew that borgy background, and figured out how to get the argle-bargle effect without using an advanced graphics program.
I think those are her (GA's) facial features left, though.
Love that background.I mostly just drew randomish lines and then multi-sharpened the living heck outta the result to get the metalic wires effect. Word to the wise.
Hmm. The second is better Faith than the other angle.
BTW, your Aki needs a longe nose, IMAO.
close as I could get.The Who Mourns For Adonis stuff at the bottom confused me a tad. Did you know that Leslie Parrish married the Jonathan Livington Seagull guy, and he, very appropriately, recently got killed crashing a biplane?
Here's a more obscure one...
Has anyone seen this?
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men (Official Complete Film) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFqAME7dx58#)
The pacing sucks and the acting is a bit weak, but it's not terrible...
From the 1954 movie Princess of the Nile:Well, I see the video went away. Go to 4:22 in the vid below-
PRINCESS OF THE NILE - Dance Sequence - Debra Paget (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FCM2_nYvQU#)
This can't be a coincidence, can it?
"Trekkers Gonna Trek" Rebuttal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jKaghO949M#ws)
'Star Trek' Galileo Shuttlecraft's Saviors: 8 Questions for Trek Superfanshttp://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-galileo-shuttlecrafts-saviors-8-questions-trek-135116691.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-galileo-shuttlecrafts-saviors-8-questions-trek-135116691.html)
By Miriam Kramer | SPACE.com – 2 hrs 32 mins ago...(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/jvS9Nu3_SUjZdc8INvIdNg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD00MTc7cT03OTt3PTU3NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/%27Star_Trek%27_Galileo_Shuttlecraft%27s_Saviors-839ad57473755c8c446c1e4d0cb77bd6)
Dedicated fans are giving new life to the shuttlecraft used in the original "Star Trek" television series.
(http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SWVJBUKn2Wmqct_BdfHssQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zODM7cT03OTt3PTU3NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/%27Star_Trek%27_Galileo_Shuttlecraft%27s_Saviors-7b1c808ee9c6d556b46b577fbbf341d4)
The Galileo shuttlecraft from the original "Star Trek" television series has been moved out of storage in Ohio, where it has been for 20+ years to Master Shipwrights, a professional boat restoration facility in New Jersey.
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/PDjmMN0ovGVyPGl_zBhawg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9aW5zZXQ7aD0zODM7cT03OTt3PTU3NQ--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/%27Star_Trek%27_Galileo_Shuttlecraft%27s_Saviors-9abfc01409ec6bf17fad1d01bf9da47a)
On July 12, 2012, the "Star Trek" Galileo shuttlecraft was moved from former owner Lynn Miller's house to a storage facility in Ohio.
Two "Star Trek" fans are a couple of weeks away from fully restoring the last surviving large set piece from the venerable 1960s TV show.
Adam Schneider and Alec Peters are refurbishing the 24-foot (7.3 meter) long Shuttlecraft Galileo used to shuttle the crew of the Starship Enterprise back and forth from the ship.
SPACE.com spoke with Schneider and Peters about the restoration, the American space program and what "Star Trek" means to them. [See Photos of the Galileo Restoration (http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AjChkgrT9Gmb2gUeZLse2iGsFWFH;_ylu=X3oDMTFqaWd2Ymg3BG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIEJvZHkEcG9zAzIEc2VjA01lZGlhQXJ0aWNsZUJvZHlBc3NlbWJseQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTNhM2JvZW0xBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDZjk5YmY3YTctZjg0OS0zNmM0LWFhMDUtOTRjMGRmZGYwMjUzBHBzdGNhdANzY2llbmNlfHNwYWNlLWFzdHJvbm9teQRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=0/SIG=12pb2jle4/EXP=1369153426/**http%3A//www.space.com/20791-star-trek-galileo-shuttlecraft-photos.html)]
SPACE.com: First of all, what makes Galileo important in the "Star Trek" universe?
Adam Schneider: "Star Trek" was the first show with a really giant ship, and they never wanted it to land basically for budget concerns. But after a while they realized that it was dramatically useful to have a piece that could land, be separate and get into trouble, get destroyed, injure people, have crash landings, all the stuff that happens you can't do to the big ship because then the show's over. So they invented the idea of a shuttlecraft [Galileo]. They used it to be able to show a limited number of people away and in trouble.
SPACE.com: You won the Galileo at auction in 2012. Why restore it?
Alec Peters: The Galileo is important because it's really the biggest surviving movie or TV set of the modern era. The Galileo is such an important part of "Star Trek", and not only to "Star Trek," it was important to literally the consciousness of the space program. It really is the precursor to the space shuttle Enterprise. So it was important for us that we looked for this for two years and we were finally able to find it in its shape. It was important to preserve it because it is a piece of not just TV history, but our space program's history.
Schneider: We can't think of a more important science fiction related to manned space travel piece out in the wild. This thing was in abysmal condition for a long time and I'm known as the guy who gets spaceships and restores them. I kind of felt it was a bit of a public interest to bring it back to life and to donate it to hopefully a world class facility that respects it and uses it for further education both in the entertainment business of science fiction and real world space travel.
SPACE.com: What was the state of the shuttlecraft when you won it?
Peters: When we actually went to look at it after winning, it very obviously didn't look anything like the television prop. It really needed to be restored to let people appreciate what we had that was so important to the consciousness that it termed the word "space shuttle" because that's where it came from.
Schneider: If you looked pre-restoration all you would do is cry. When you look at the post, you see what the original design and intent was. [Star Trek's Galileo Restoration: Watch the Video (http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AkWxMYibjuyXozjuSXtzo.OsFWFH;_ylu=X3oDMTFqY2dxYjVxBG1pdANBcnRpY2xlIEJvZHkEcG9zAzYEc2VjA01lZGlhQXJ0aWNsZUJvZHlBc3NlbWJseQ--;_ylg=X3oDMTNhM2JvZW0xBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDZjk5YmY3YTctZjg0OS0zNmM0LWFhMDUtOTRjMGRmZGYwMjUzBHBzdGNhdANzY2llbmNlfHNwYWNlLWFzdHJvbm9teQRwdANzdG9yeXBhZ2U-;_ylv=0/SIG=13hf5ohh9/EXP=1369153426/**http%3A//www.space.com/20781-original-star-trek-galileo-spacecraft-where-is-it-today-video.html)]
SPACE.com: How do you go about restoring a set piece like this?
Schneider: There are no plans that we have ever found for this thing as built. We're doing all of this on the basis of Internet plans. There are dozens of pages of Internet plans, screen caps, very exacting measurements. The original Galileo was made by Gene Winfield … We're trying to get to that look [from the original show].
In fact, in the back is a little, what I would call, hood that Spock pulls down and he kind of looks and pokes at things. We have a fan who is replacing and putting in the components in the hood … People really want this to be — you can't go to perfect, there's no such thing as perfect — but they really want it to be as close as one can get [to perfect] because we hope that this is the last restoration.
SPACE.com: How many man hours have gone into the restoration?
Schneider: It's probably taken 2,000 man hours of work. It's a world-class restoration at a world-class shop. This is not me because I have no skills as an amateur doing work. This is a fabulous facility [Master Shipwrights in New Jersey].
Not only is it going to be cosmetically good, but from a structural point of view, from a quality of finish point of view, from a quality of wood point of view, and from an ability to move it safely without damaging it. It has never been in better shape.
SPACE.com: Where is the funding coming from? Was there a crowd funding effort?
Schneider: I didn't want to slow down the project to get crowd funding. So the crowd is us … We promised in the beginning that we would be donating to a place of public venue. It's a big out of pocket hunk … but let's get down to reality. We can't think of a more important "Star Trek" piece out in the wild.
SPACE.com: What does "Star Trek" mean to you personally?
Schneider: "Star Trek" is supposed to be our future in space. It is not fictional — it is of course — but it is not intended to be a galaxy far, far away. It is intended to be what we do on this planet with our capabilities over the next few hundred years, and, as such, it's inspiring ... It's the career I would have wanted to have. It's building the space ships. If I can't build the real ones, we may as well get together and build the mock ups.
Peters: Adam is more into the ship models. I'm more into the props and costumes, but for both of us, it's preserving this show that meant so much to us. I was born in 1960 so I was six when "Star Trek" premiered and I remember watching the first episode on TV. When "Star Trek.," in its third season, got moved to Friday nights at 10, that was past my bedtime and my mom would put me to bed at 8 at night, wake me up at 10, let me watch "Star Trek" and then put me back to bed. That kind of sealed my fate as a really hardcore "Star Trek" fan. We're both at a point now where we want to now preserve this show and preserve the assets of this show for posterity.
Schneider: Well, and for inspiration.
SPACE.com: Where are you hoping to place the ship once it's finished?
Schneider: I'd love to have it in a place where 10,000 space and "Trek" fans could [enjoy it].
Everything Wrong With Star Trek (2009) In 5 Minutes Or Less (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiQ9piVgtWM#ws)
A lot of that can be hand waived by science fiction and/or hollywood rules. A couple things are explained in the movie.Phooey. Handwaving is for a few things. The sheer size of the pile of crap counts.
Bonus points for no hot green lapdance scene.
And before the TNG movies came out, TMP was widely considered the worst.
-Dude, this is like me coming into your horror movie thread to defend the Friday the Thirteenth flicks. On the face of it, I'd be wrong...
Why We Still Love 'Star Trek,' Final Frontiers and Allhttp://news.yahoo.com/why-still-love-star-trek-final-frontiers-112459310.html (http://news.yahoo.com/why-still-love-star-trek-final-frontiers-112459310.html)
SPACE.comBy Miriam Kramer | SPACE.com – 7 hrs ago...
The interstellar voyages of the Starship Enterprise have captured imaginations around the world for decades.
Astronauts, movie makers, scientists, engineers and others from all walks of life cite "Star Trek's" science and technology as an influence on their lives and worldview. But why? What makes "Star Trek" the enduring and thrilling science fiction epic it is today?
The optimistic crew led by Captain Kirk in the original series and Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" gave a science-minded generation an outlet for expression, Dr. Mae Jemison, one of the astronauts inspired by the show said. [See the Evolution of the Starship Enterprise in Photos]
"I saw 'Star Trek' the original series as a little girl and for me it was really great because it talked about and it dealt with situations that were going on at the time, but you saw it with a lens of another place, another time, another world, another group of people," Jemison, a former astronaut and the principal for the 100 Year Starship Foundation, told SPACE.com. "So it was easy to actually do some of those morality plays and really bring a number of issues to the foreground and really talk about them."
When Jemison — the first African-American woman to fly in space — began watching the original series, she felt affirmed by the diversity of characters represented on the show. At the time, that diversity wasn't present in the real-life astronaut corps.
"I think the other thing that 'Star Trek' did was it basically said that humanity would make it through all of the conflicts and catastrophes that we were facing," Jemison said.
"Star Trek's" particular brand of science fiction has also motivated other scientists.
"I think it's one of those things it all goes back to a deep desire to see some very incredible things maybe come to pass one day," Harold White, a NASA engineer, said of his "Star Trek" fandom. "The idea of going 'beyond' is, I guess, just a soft terminology meant to capture anywhere in the cosmos so everyone has a soft spot for one of the old explorers. 'What's over the next hill' sort of things. There's something inside of us that resonates with that, so I think you see that in a lot of people not just in the space program."
"Star Trek" serves as inspiration for the people responsible for making the next generation of science fiction movies today.
"I'm a sci-fi nerd," Gary Whitta, the screenwriter for "After Earth," a new science fiction movie set for release on May 31, told SPACE.com. "I grew up on this stuff. I grew up watching 'Star Trek' and 'Battlestar Galactica.' This is the kind of stuff I've always wanted to do."
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of the series is that it represents an imagined future for humanity.
"'Star Trek' is supposed to be our future in space. It is not fictional — it is of course — but it is not intended to be a galaxy far, far away," Adam Schneider, the man restoring the original series' Galileo Shuttlecraft, said. "It is intended to be what we do on this planet with our capabilities over the next few hundred years, and, as such, it's inspiring ... It's the career I would have wanted to have."
With "Star Trek Into Darkness," the most recent re-boot of the series, set for release tomorrow (May 16), a fresh stock of audience members might get a chance to experience that kind of inspiration. Jemison, however, is doubtful that the new films capture the attitude of the originals.
"'Star Trek' is 'Star Trek' because it was 'Star Trek,' not because it was somebody else's version of it," Jemison said of the new movies. "My question is: Where is the hopefulness in it? … The science and the geekiness is important. It's not accidental."
NASA is riding high on the "Star Trek" excitement. "Star Trek Into Darkness" director [[intercourse gerund] hack] and some of the film's stars will take part in a Google+ Hangout with current space station astronaut Chris Cassidy tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT).
How the Battle Over 'Star Trek' Rights Killed J.J. Abrams' Grand Ambitionshttp://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/how-web-star-trek-rights-killed-jj-abrams-grand-ambitions-91766 (http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/how-web-star-trek-rights-killed-jj-abrams-grand-ambitions-91766)
The franchise's licensing and merchandising rights are split between CBS and Paramount which created headaches for the multihyphenate's production company Bad Robot
Published: May 15, 2013 @ 7:41 pm
By Brent Lang
A struggle over the U.S.S. Enterprise's past and future helped sour J.J. Abrams on the "Star Trek" franchise and may have contributed to his decision to take on the "Star Wars" universe.
Competing ambitions between Paramount, CBS and Abrams' production company Bad Robot over merchandising surrounding the first film in the rebooted "Star Trek" franchise led the director to curtail plans to turn the series into a multi-platform experience that spanned television, digital entertainment and comic books, according to an individual with knowledge of the dispute.
"J.J. just threw up his hands," the individual told TheWrap. "The message was, 'Why set up all this when we'll just be competing against ourselves?' The studio wanted to please Bad Robot, but it was allowing CBS to say yay or nay when it came to what was happening with the 'Star Trek' products."
"Star Trek Into Darkness" arrives in U.S. multiplexes Thursday with tie-ins ranging from Bing to Hasbro. It is expected to gross more than $100 million at the domestic box office over the extended weekend.
Yet this marketing assault pales compared to the one that Abrams (above) and Bad Robot once envisioned for "Star Trek" and now plan to construct around the new "Star Wars" films.
A major stumbling block: "Star Trek's" licensing and merchandising rights are spread over two media conglomerates with competing goals. The rights to the original television series from the 1960s remained with CBS after it split off from Paramount’s corporate parent Viacom in 2006, while the studio retained the rights to the film series. CBS also held onto the ability to create future “Star Trek” TV shows.
Paramount must license the “Star Trek” characters from CBS Consumer Products for film merchandising.
Much to the dismay of Bad Robot, CBS' merchandising arm continued to create memorabilia and products based on the cast of the original 1960s series and market them to Trekkies. The production company did market research and found that there was brand confusion between Abrams' rebooted Enterprise crew and the one starring William Shatner and DeForest Kelley.
TheWrap has learned that Bad Robot asked CBS to stop making products featuring the original cast, but talks broke down over money. The network was making roughly $20 million a year on that merchandise and had no incentive to play nice with its former corporate brother, the individual said. In response, the company scaled back its ambitions to have "Star Trek's" storylines play out with television shows, spin-off films and online components, something Abrams had been eager to accomplish.
Also read: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Review: Thrilling Sequel Balances Fun with a Post-9/11 Sensibility
Paramount declined to comment for this article and a spokesperson for Bad Robot did not respond to a request to comment.
"As the merchandising rights holder for Star Trek, CBS Consumer Products has ongoing relationships with all our partners, including Paramount," a spokesman for CBS Consumer Products said in a statement. "We have worked closely with them for the last five years to create merchandise to enhance the movies and satisfy fans. We are all looking forward to a successful opening of ‘Into Darkness.’”
Despite the initial bumpy ride, it appears that Paramount, Bad Robot and CBS Consumer Products worked more harmoniously on "Star Trek Into Darkness." The parties collaborated on a Star Trek video game (left) that will feature the voices of the film's stars Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto; a graphic novel prequel to the film that was overseen by screenwriter Roberto Orci; and a novelization from Simon & Schuster (below).
Still, Jeff Gomez, CEO of the transmedia consulting firm Starlight Runner Entertainment, says there could have been so many more lucrative tie-ins. He contends that the rebooted franchise has enormous potential outside the multiplex.
"Right now the 'Star Trek' movies are movies," Gomez said. "There is no apparent ongoing transmedia strategy behind them, just a handful of licensing opportunities around the release of 'Into Darkness.'
"Why would that be attractive to an artist who sees beyond the boundaries of the silver screen to envision a true multi-platform narrative all based on a global franchise?”
Abrams' ambitions to create a multi-platform film franchise will find a more natural home at Disney, analysts and industry experts tell TheWrap. As successful as "Star Trek" has been, few franchises match the profitability and cultural prominence of George Lucas' space opera, which would be difficult for any director to pass up.
“Disney has always been oriented to multi-platform revenue stream situations,” Seth Willenson, a film library valuations expert, told TheWrap.
Moreover, Willenson notes that Abrams, who has a deal that is believed to include creative and profit participation in "Star Wars" inspired merchandise and spin-offs, will have more control in shaping the legacy of the Skywalker clan than he would have had with developing side projects for the "Star Trek" crew. Unlike with "Star Trek," with its rights split between Paramount and CBS, Disney owns the rights to “Star Wars” outright thanks to its $4 billion purchase of Lucasfilm last year.
"The derivative rights situation on 'Star Trek' is complicated because you’re dealing with cross-company cultures, so it makes it harder to implement a grand plan," Willenson said.
As for Disney's grand "Star Wars" plan, it's sounding an awful lot like the one Abrams once envisioned for "Star Trek." There will be television properties, theme park rides and spin-off films all centered around the new trilogy that Abrams will oversee.
It's a page borrowed from Disney's exploitation of the Marvel comic books and if it works out, it should make Abrams very rich indeed.
LeVar Burton To J.J. Abrams: "I Call Bulls**t"/]http://www.treknews.net/2013/03/07/levar-burton-jj-abrams-i-call-[nonsense]/ (http://www.treknews.net/2013/03/07/levar-burton-jj-abrams-i-call-[nonsense)
March 7, 2013 By TrekNews.net Staff In Star Trek 2013, Star Trek: TNG(http://www.treknews.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/levar-burton-jj-abrams-i-call-[nonsense].jpg)
LeVar Burton, who played Geordi LaForge for seven seasons on Star Trek: The Next Generation, recently discussed the current direction of the Star Trek franchise — as it’s being handled by J.J. Abrams and the team at Bad Robot.Quote(Abrams’ Star Trek) was a great movie, and he brought a whole new generation to Trek. But I’m a little disquieted by things I hear coming out of his camp, things like he would like to be remembered as the only Trek – which would discount everything before he got there.
Burton went on to talk about how Abrams first film broke from the timeline of the original Star Trek universe.QuoteThere’s ‘breaking the canon,’ which he did (by re-inventing Star Trek’s timeline). But there’s also honouring the canon. And to pretend to be the only one is really egocentric and immature.
Burton, who’s character held the rank of chief engineer aboard the Enterprise D, discussed some recent scientific breakthroughs, which may lead to technology reminiscent of a holodeck and how TNG has influenced our culture.QuoteI just came from a conference in San Francisco with Advanced Micro Devices, and they’re working on technology towards building a holodeck. That was Next Generation. And that’s part of what Star Trek has brought to the culture. So when JJ Abrams says, There should be no Star Trek except the one I make,’ I call bulls—, J.J.
There was nothing, nothing, nothing, out there in TV/movie SF that was as smart and well-done, save Twilight Zone for TV and Forbidden Planet for movies
Of course you're right about me doing a grave injustice to a number of movies. Even in the strictly 50s cheese mode
Captain Pike and his Female First Officer were replaced with scrappy womanizer(Italics added.)William ShatnerJames Tiberius Kirk. This is also known as "Dumbing Down". You want True Trek, you have to go to The Next Generation, which lacked the Executive Meddling aspect of the series. The name similarity between Pike and Picard is no accident.
The Captain Kirk Womanizing Fallacy Pt. 1 - LONGhttp://uncle-twitchy.livejournal.com/16916.html (http://uncle-twitchy.livejournal.com/16916.html)
Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise gets a bad rap for being a galactic womanizer. Let's face it -- as soon as I mentioned his name, you immediately think of him with a girl at every Starbase, or spreading his space seed (heh) to every tin-foil bikini-clad green chick with a beehive hairdo that he possibly can. People joke about it all the time -- there's even a line in Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country that references it.
But the facts simply do not bear this reputation out.
Season One:
1. Where No Man Has Gone Before - Kirk does not flirt with Elizabeth Dehner -- he's too worried that his buddy Gary Lockwood is turning into Dark Phoenix to notice that she's doing the same thing, just more slowly.
2. Corbomite Maneuver - Kirk is too busy keeping the kid who drinks tranya from destroying the ship, and makes a snide comment about Starfleet giving him a hot yeoman in a red miniskirt and ugly beehive instead of a male yeoman. Okay, chauvanistic remark. No space nookie yet.
3. Mudd's Women - Harry Mudd brings space sluts hopped up on space goofballs and Rigellian aphrodesiacs on board. Kirk falls under influence. He's a victim in this case.
4. The Enemy Within - Transporter accident separates Kirk's aggressive, animalistic side with his passive, pussy side. The aggressive side attacks the hot yeoman from episode 2. Again, Kirk is vicitim to a plot device and not in control.
5. The Man Trap - Salt vampire disguises itself as McCoy's long-lost childhood sweetheart. Uhura practically spreads her legs for Spock on the bridge, but no nookie for Kirk.
6. The Naked Time - space virus gets everybody drunk. What does Kirk talk about in his drunken ramblings? The Enterprise. Not women.
7. Charlie X - Kirk has to teach a teenage boy with superpowers why it's bad to flirt with hot beehive-wearing yeomen, young boy doesn't get it (and who can blame him). No nookie for Kirk.
8. Balance of Terror - Kirk looks for a German submarine -- er, cloaked Romulan warship -- and performs a wedding. No nookie.
9. What Are Little Girls Made Of? - Nurse Chapel's long-lost fiancé forces a hot android chick to make out with Kirk and then slap him a lot. Again, Kirk's the victim.
10. Dagger of the Mind - A hot psychiatrist who flirted with Kirk at the ship's Christmas party that year uses an evil mind control device to make Kirk think he's madly in love with her. She's the aggressor, he's again the victim.
11. Miri - A two-hundred year old adolescent girl and the Yeoman Beehive vie for Kirk's affections while he's busy trying to survive a killer virus. Yeoman Beehive professes her love of Kirk and we never see her again (as it should be in real life).
12. Conscience of the King - The first time Kirk sort of falls for a woman, she tries to kill him because she's, well, crazy, and Kirk can finger her dad for being the escaped fugitive he is. No on-screen evidence that Kirk and the girl do anything other than hold hands and kiss on an observation deck. Kirk's the aggressor this time, bad choice on his part. So we're 1 for 12, but he doesn't nail her.
13. Galileo Seven - Kirk's too busy looking for Spock and McCoy who are lost in a shuttlecraft to worry about women. Besides, the last girl he asked out tried to kill him.
14. Court Martial - The prosecuting attorney in Kirk's court martial trial asks him to kiss her on the bridge after she's lost the case. She's the aggressor. Kirk does oblige, though -- 2 willing kisses in 14 episodes.
15. The Menagerie - Spock's courtmartial and airing of original pilot. No nookie here, though the hot yeoman who greets Kirk when he beams down has heard stories about him and keeps flirting with him.
16. Shore Leave - McCoy's making time with a female science officer and Kirk's pining for the girl he dated while at Starfleet Academy. No nookie, but fun fight scenes with the recreation of his old Academy nemesis.
17. The Squire of Gothos - Q's [progeny of unmarried parents] son picks on Kirk. Tally ho! No nookie.
18. Arena - Kirk's too busy fighting an asthmatic lizardman. I. Will. Not. Kill. ...Today. Yeswe'rehumanbeings,yeswe'resavages. But I. Won't. Kill. Today.
19. Alternative Factor - There's no way to tell what the hell is going on in this psychadelic mind trip, but I can guarantee there's no women involved.
20. Tomorrow is Yesterday - Kirk's too concerned with getting the ship out of the 20th century and into the 23rd without altering the timelines. No women.
21. Return of the Archons - A young girl flirts with one of Kirk's officers in the landing party, but Kirk's too busy convincing the computer that runs the planet to shut itself off to notice.
22. A Taste of Armageddon - Kirk briefly tries flirting with a planetary dignitary who's too focused on the war her planet's waging with another via computer. She insists he's dead because the computer says so, Kirk uses other means to escape and teach them that War Is Bad instead.
23. Space Seed - Khaaaannnnn!!!! The only hot female on this episode is soaking the cushions for Khan, so Kirk's main focus is saving the ship yet again.
24. This Side of Paradise - Space spores make Spock fall in love with the girl who already wanted him. Kirk's too busy trying to get Spock to remember his priorities. No girl for Kirk.
25. Devil In The Dark - Kirk negotiates peace between an angry mob of miners and an egg-laying pepperoni pizza bubble. No women here.
26. Errand of Mercy - Kirk vs. the Klingons for the first time. No women, although the Organians come across as [ladyparts, sissies] in the beginning.
27. City on the Edge of Forever - Kirk falls for Edith Keeler but must let her die in order for the future to be restored. Tragic. He's in the '30s and it's '60s t.v., so the most they do is hold hands and kiss.
28. Operation: Annihilate - Space pancakes kill a Federation colony. Kirk watches his widowed sister-in-law descend into madness, pain and death, and Spock is nearly killed by a space pancake.
So -- in the entirety of the first season, while we have six women throwing or forcing themselves on Kirk, when he shows genuine interest in two women -- two -- all he does with them is hold hands and kiss.
Sounds like a real womanizer to me.
My next entry will be Season 2. Then we'll do Season 3 and the movies.
The Captain Kirk Womanizing Fallacy Pt. 2 - LONGhttp://uncle-twitchy.livejournal.com/17312.html (http://uncle-twitchy.livejournal.com/17312.html)
Continuing our analysis of the original Star Trek, in our quest to determine why, exactly, Captain Kirk has this reputation for being an intergalactic horndog.
Season Two:
29. Catspaw - Pipe-cleaner/fuzzball aliens disguising themselves as humans for Halloween. The "female" alien decides she wants to know what this thing called "kiss" is, and forces herself on Kirk, who just wants to get away. She's the agressor, Kirk's the victim. Familiar scenario, huh?
30. Metamorphosis - Andy Taylor's first girlfriend Elly (before Helen Crump) is dying, so she merges with an alien energy being that wants to know what this thing called "kiss" is so it can do it with a pre-James Cromwell Zephram Cochrane, back when he was from Alpha Centauri and not Earth. Kirk watches with a bemused smirk.
31. Friday's Child - Julie "Catwoman" Newmar's pregnant and the Klingons want the baby. Or something. Kirk has little patience for her bitching. No nookie involved.
32. Who Mourns For Adonais? - The god Apollo grabs the Enterprise and tries to force the crew to re-enact the Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony scene from "Fantasia" for all eternity. Kirk convinces the hottie anthropology officer who's all wet with the idea to set her priorities straight and focus on saving the ship. No nookie for Kirk, but Apollo may have gotten some -- he's a Greek god, after all.
33. Amok Time - Spock in heat, and Kirk's caught up in Vulcan courting rituals and nearly dies. No nookie for anyone but Stonn.
34. The Doomesday Machine - Attack of the planet-eating Nabisco bugle. Kirk's with Scotty and his crack engineering team on board the U.S.S. Constellation the entire episode. No women.
35. Wolf in the Fold - The only women here are killed by Jack the Ripper, and Kirk doesn't flirt with any of them.
36. The Changeling - I Am Nomad. I Am Perfect. I Am Not A Sexbot. No nookie for anyone, although Scotty gets killed and then "turned back on," and Uhura's mind gets wiped and she has to learn everything again.
37. The Apple - Chekov gets some Yeoman Hottie action while the bewildered natives gawk and try to figure out what this thing called "kiss" is, but Kirk's too busy trying to shut off the computer that runs the planet to care.
38. MIrror, Mirror - Kirk gets jumped by Evil Kirk's Cabin [promiscuous] but he simply uses the situation to get more information on his evil self -- and manipulates her into saving his life. This is the first time I can think of that Kirk actively takes advantage of the woman who pursues him, but he does so in the interest of his crew, and it's still her pursuing him.
39. The Deadly Years - One of his old flames helps solve the weird aging disease that's affecting Kirk and Co., but they just mention a past relationship -- no bridge kissing, but she's clearly still in love with him and he's not with her.
40. I, Mudd - Thanks to the efforts of our intrepid captain trying to rescue his ship and crew, android twins learn what this thing called "kiss" is, but that's all part of trying to mess with their "logic circuits" or somesuch.
41. The Trouble With Tribbles - Tribbles and Klingons. No one needs to learn what this thing called "kiss" is for any reason, and Kirk's pretty grumpy throughout -- mostly because William Schallert (Patty Duke's dad) is a dick.
42. Bread and Circuses - The space Romans throw a hot blonde space slave at Kirk to get him to join the space Roman church softball team or somesuch, but Kirk's too disturbed by watching Spock and McCoy in short pants and fighting in gladitorial combat to fall for it. "You hear that, Flavius? It won't work!"
43. Journey to Babel - Spock's folks visit, and Kirk fights an Orion disguised as an Andorian. No one makes out with Jane Wyatt, though she strokes Mark Lenard's fingers.
44. A Private Little War - Kirk's space buddy Tyree's wife (a kanutu woman, if that means anything to you) decides she's hot for Kirk because he's got a phaser, so she casts a kanutu space spell on him to get all hot for her -- she's the agressor, Kirk's the victim, the Klingons kill her before it goes much further.
45. The Gamesters of Triskelion - Okay. This one I'll give you to a point. After all, Kirk takes it upon himself to teach space hottie Angelique Pettijohn (who would later do cheap porn films) what this thing called "kiss" is for no reason other than to watch her writhe in pain when she gets so worked up her collar short circuits. But like in "Mirror Mirror," he does it to get information on how to escape an otherwise intolerable situation. Fifty quatloos on the newcomer.
46. Obsession - Kirk's obsessed with a gas cloud that kills people. No women.
47. The Immunity Syndrome - Kirk prevents a giant space ameoba from eating the ship. No women.
48. A Piece of the Action - Kirk's caught up having too much fun playing space gangster to even notice there are women.
49. By Any Other Name - Kirk teaches the nasty cthuluoid monster disguised in human form what this thing called "kiss" is in order to freak her out with the human emotions she's experiencing as part of a plan to save the ship and crew.
50. Return to Tomorrow - Kirk briefly flirts with Diana Muldaur before their minds are put into glass jars by ancient aliens who want robot bodies. The aliens may do it off screen, but there's no concrete evidence to suggest it, and besides -- Kirk's in a jar for most of the episode.
51. Patterns of Force - Kirk's busy fighting space Nazis. The one woman on the show is pretending to be space-Jew hating Nazi but is really focused on stopping the space Fuhrer. Kirk doesn't even bother flirting with her.
52. The Ultimate Computer - dosn't even boot up properly and kills a bunch of Federation officers. No women.
53. The Omega Glory - Kirk's too busy reciting the preamble to the Consitution to notice that the only woman in the episode kinda digs Spock.
54. Assignment: Earth - Terri Garr is utterly adorable, but Kirk's too busy trying to figure out what the hell he's doing in a pilot for an unproduced series to notice.
So. Season Two, Kirk takes advantage of three women (well, two woman and one space slug disguised as a woman) in order to protect the ship - and all he does is kiss them. We have four more women throwing themselves at him, but he's too focused on saving the ship to notice or he's under the influence of of magical space mojo. And he tries to short circuit a robot by kissing it.
Still say he's a womanizer? Let's go on to Season Three...
The Captain Kirk Womanizing Fallacy Pt. 3 - LONGhttp://uncle-twitchy.livejournal.com/17434.html (http://uncle-twitchy.livejournal.com/17434.html)
Okay, so far, as we've seen by the actual on-screen evidence, for a man with a reputation as being this huge lady killer, Captain Kirk hasn't even gotten lucky, the two women he showed genuine affection for he simply held hands and kissed, and he's been the subject of sexual aggression by no fewer than 10 women -- that's 10 in 54 episodes. Oh, and he used his obvious sexual charm to get three other female creatures and one robot to help him save his ship or crew.
So.
Season Three:
55. Spectre of the Gun - Aliens force Kirk and Co. to play Gunfight at the O.K. Coral. Chekov get's the space saloon girl.
56. Elaan of Troyius - While testing the Taming of the Shrew principle with a hot alien ambassador, Kirk inadvertantly falls under the spell of her space love potion, but is eventually able to shake off the effects in order to save the ship.
57. The Paradise Syndrome - Under amnesia on a planet of space Indians, Kirk -- as the tribe's medicine man Kirok -- falls in love with the local Indian princess, marries her, and gets her pregnant with his child, while Spock spends months trying to figure out where the on-switch to the phasers are so he can destroy an asteroid. So -- Kirk gets laid: 1 out of 57.
58. The Enterprise Incident - Spock makes time with a hot Romulan commander while Kirk plays Romulan spy in order to steal a cloaking device.
59. And The Children Shall Lead - Lead us right into lameness, that is. The devil tries to get kids to make Kirk take him to another planet. Why? No women.
60. Spock's Brain - Space bimbos steal Spock's brain and are too dumb to understand why Kirk would want it back. They're too stupid to even ask what this thing called "kiss" is, so Kirk doesn't even bother.
61. Is There In Truth No Beauty? - Kirk kinda likes blind ambassador Diana Muldaur, but Spock goes crazy, cockblocking the whole mess. I don't remember if Kirk teachs the ambassador what this thing called "kiss" is, but I suspect she already knows -- oh, and did I forget to mention she's crazy?
62. The Empath - Kirk, Spock, McCoy and a cute deaf mute girl play out some weird S&M fantasy for sadistic aliens until Kirk gets bored with it.
63. The Tholian Web - Kirk spends the entire episode in a spacesuit stuck between two dimensions.
64. For The World Is Hollow, And I Have Touched The Sky - McCoy gets a fatal disease, so naturally he choses to abandon his medical career to live with a hottie on an asteroid doomed to a collision course with a plot device. Kirk spends the entire episode trying to figure out if McCoy's being serious.
65. Day of the Dove - A glowing ball of energy forces Klingons and Enterprise crew to fight for its amusement. Kirk takes one look at Kang's wife Mara, decides Koloth was kidding when he said Klingons don't take "non-essentials" (i.e. women) on their missions, and goes on to laugh the glowing energy ball off the ship.
66. Plato's Stepchildren - Kirk is forced to kiss Lt. Uhura by telepathic aliens pretending to uphold the platonic ideal. Now, if it was me, I wouldn't have had to have been forced -- she was extremely hot back then -- but he's too distracted by his attempts to escape the aliens' evil clutches and too angry that he has to be forced to do this to enjoy it.
67. Wink of an Eye - The hot alien who moves faster than the human eye can see brings Kirk "up to speed" and then nails him so that she can get knocked up and ensure the survival of her species, since all their men are sterile. Kirk clearly enjoys it, and who wouldn't, but he's ultimately more concerned with escaping her clutches. The only other on-screen evidence that Kirk "got some," and she was the aggressor.
68. That Which Survives - Alien robot disguised as Lee "Catwoman" Meriweather runs around killing people by touching them. Defines "bad touch." Kirk avoids.
69. Let That Be Your Last Battlefield - The Riddler and some other guy paint themselves like checkerboards and spout bigoted rhetoric to belabor a point. No women.
70. Whom Gods Destroy - Batgirl appears as a green Orion chick living on an insane asylum. She tries to rape Kirk, but he's distracted by the former starfleet captain who can change into other people, including Kirk himself, to really notice.
71. The Mark of Gideon - A planet so overpopulated it has standing room only inexplicably builds an empty mockup of the Enterprise, lures Kirk into thinking he's in a Twilight Zone episode, and force one of the planetary leader's daughters on him so she can catch the flu and spread it among their people so they'll start dying off. Kirk realizes how truly sick and twisted this plan (and planet) is and runs (no doubt irritated that there's no computer running the place to shut off).
72. The Lights of Zetar - Bad sparkle effects representing the souls of a dead planet possess Scotty's new girlfriend. No women for Kirk.
73. The Cloud Minders - The planet leader's daughter is hot for Spock, the rebel miner is too busy trying to start a revolution, and Kirk's just trying to survive the inanity of this season's episodes.
74. The Way To Eden - The Space Hippies may be all about space peace, space love, and freaky space joy, and they truly grok Spock, and one of them used to groove on Chekov (who already has better luck with women than our "womanizing" Captain at this point), but Kirk himself is totally squaresville, daddy.
75. Requiem for Methuselah - Kirk makes yet another wrong choice and falls for a girl who turns out to be a robot. By the end, she's destroyed and Spock mindmelds the whole thing out of Kirk's memory.
76. The Savage Curtain - Evil chunks of lava force Kirk, Spock, and Abraham Lincoln to fight Genghis Khan. The less said, the better. No women for Kirk.
77. All Our Yesterdays - Kirk, Spock and McCoy end up on a dying planet's distant past. While Spock falls in love, Kirk gets tried for witchcraft. No nookie.
78. Turnabout Intruder - One of Kirk's old girlfriends (who was clearly crazy and that's why he broke up with her -- "Whoa, honey, you're too unstable for me!") forces him to switch bodies. She then goes on a power-mad freakout until the crew mutiny and put the real Kirk back in his body.
The movies are quick and easy to assess:
Motion Picture: V'Ger wasn't a woman, and when it made the mock-up of Lt. Ilia, Cmdr. Decker was the one who benefited.
Wrath of Khan: Runs into an old, old girlfriend with whom he had a [progeny of unmarried parents] son. They obviously had a serious relationship in the past but different career paths broke them up.
Search for Spock: No women
Voyage Home: Kirk is obviously attracted to the mom from 7th Heaven, but she's too obsessed with her whales to care.
Final Frontier: No women.
Undiscovered Country: He flirts with the Chameloid (she, again, is the aggressor -- in more ways than one) and McCoy makes his snide, unwarranted comment, "What is it about you?"
Generations: Kirk remembers a breakup with a woman he was living with during a brief hiatus from Starfleet. Other than that, he's dead.
As we have seen, therefore, we have the only two actual on-screen instances that show Kirk to have gotten laid, one of which he was being captive and coerced (no matter how much he enjoyed it, and who would blame him?), the other he was genuinely in love. We have two instances where Kirk actually falls for women, but both relationships are doomed -- one dies, the other is a robot who is destroyed. We have one instance of Kirk falling under the influence of mind-controlling chemicals to fall for a woman, one instance of alien coercion, and another psycho throwing herself at him. Oh, and the whole weird mind-switch thing.
In total, that means Kirk really only ever pursued five women on the entire 78-episode run, and one woman casually in one of the movies. Three died (or were destroyed), the other two were bat[poop]crazy. However, we have fourteen instances of women throwing themselves at Kirk, three or four of which Kirk used to save his ship or crew. Oh, and one instance of Kirk deliberately manipulating an alien female's emotions so he wouldn't have to fight cavemen and andorians for the amusement of brains in a jar.
So, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I submit to you that, in answer to Dr. McCoy's question to Captain James T. Kirk on the Rura Penthe penal asteroid in 2293 is this: he is a charming, confident, and determined man dedicated to his ship and his crew, which the ladies find extremely attractive.
They throw themselves at him, and he very, very rarely responds unless it's in the best interest of the safety of his ship and crew, his first priority. The few times he has been genuinely attracted to women outside his career and therefore disregards his priorities have all ended in disaster. All cliché aside, he is truly married to his ship.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is my firm belief that Captain Kirk's reputation as a interstellar womanizer is therefore unwarranted and totally fallacious. Is he a flirt? Absolutely. Does he hesitate to kiss a beautiful woman who throws herself into his arms? Very rarely -- he's a man's man, after all, and only rejects the truly crazy ones. But he never, never ceases to keep the safety of his ship and his crew his top priority.
I rest my case.
was a very lonely man who refused to fish off the company pier when he was sober and sane
Yeah, and the fat girls into a little boy-on-boy
About Doctor Who - if the Beebe would hire a good writer, good video editor and good sound mixer, there's a mint to be made going through all the intact stories of the old show and editing them down to the length the story wanted to be, sans the pointless/boring running around that didn't advance the plot and served only to pad that sucker out to 4-6 episodes when 2 would have done.
It's something I've noticed time and again, even when watching the good ones with the 4th Doctor and Romanna - over half is always boring filler. (Mylochka and I watched Castrovalva last night, which was deadly bad for the first half it took to even get to the eponymous locality, then suddenly became not-terrible once TristanDoctor hit town.) I'm not advocating something like Star Trek Remastered with fixing the special effects to so-so results. You'd still be stuck with the old scripts, old performances, much of the old sets, and all the costumes. But good stories and bad alike could all benefit from tighter pacing and getting to the good parts a lot faster.
The BBC could make a mint selling DVDs of the old show to the same fans all over again, and have something much more likely to appeal to new fans and curious fans of the current version. This is something even you or I could do crudely on the computer with something like Windows Movie Maker, provided only the will, the patience, and some good story-telling skills - and I wish some fans would, in hopes of the right people at the beebe seeing it on YouTube and getting inspired.
I'd really like to see a Good Parts version of Castrovalva, you see...
Okay - I've watched the above fan-produced episode, and I'm positively shocked at how well it came together. I could go on for a very long time about where there's room for improvement, but the writing really has the feel as well as being as smart and well-structured as you could hope for from a fan production.
Their Kirk (Vic Mignola, the voice of Edward Elgar on Fullmetal Alchemist and the reason that I hereby dub this particular fan production Fullmetal Star Trek) is head and shoulders the best Kirk I've seen in a fan video. Not wild about any of the rest of the cast, (even though Chris Doohan really sounds like Scotty and Grant Imanhara of Mythbusters does a credible Sulu voice) but a strong Kirk does a lot to carry a weak Spock (w/ a voice far too high - Spock without a deep voice doesn't scan as Spock, something even unlikeable SkylarSpock pulled off - these fan productions always cast fellows to young to pull off Spock successfully). Unlike the boyish-seeming James Crawley of New Voyages, or the even younger chap who replaced him for Phase II, Mignola is about the right age to be Kirk, which I think is a lot of why his reading of the part works so well.
Again, it's a fan video, and I'm cautioning you to go in with low expectations; but it IS surprisingly good, and I'm not just taking it easy on amateurs. I Just plain liked it, and the redheaded girl is pretty hot.
Two thumbs up; Joe Bob says check it out.
Okay - I've watched the above fan-produced episode, and I'm positively shocked at how well it came together. I could go on for a very long time about where there's room for improvement, but the writing really has the feel as well as being as smart and well-structured as you could hope for from a fan production.
Their Kirk (Vic Mignola, the voice of Edward Elgar on Fullmetal Alchemist and the reason that I hereby dub this particular fan production Fullmetal Star Trek) is head and shoulders the best Kirk I've seen in a fan video. Not wild about any of the rest of the cast, (even though Chris Doohan really sounds like Scotty and Grant Imanhara of Mythbusters does a credible Sulu voice) but a strong Kirk does a lot to carry a weak Spock (w/ a voice far too high - Spock without a deep voice doesn't scan as Spock, something even unlikeable SkylarSpock pulled off - these fan productions always cast fellows to young to pull off Spock successfully). Unlike the boyish-seeming James Crawley of New Voyages, or the even younger chap who replaced him for Phase II, Mignola is about the right age to be Kirk, which I think is a lot of why his reading of the part works so well.
Again, it's a fan video, and I'm cautioning you to go in with low expectations; but it IS surprisingly good, and I'm not just taking it easy on amateurs. I Just plain liked it, and the redheaded girl is pretty hot.
Two thumbs up; Joe Bob says check it out.
The holodeck was one of two methods Star Trek writers used to put their characters into situations the setting did not otherwise provide for; the other was "parallel earths" or whatever they called them. Assuming that stories where you take characters and throw them into alternate settings are fun and a good idea, which method do you prefer?
Personally, I prefer the holodeck.
How many pages/months ago did I make the same two points?
I mean, they're supposed to be a big group mind - I can see the appeal to the writers to put a face on the Borg, but it really takes something away, too. Some Doctor Who fans really dislike Davros for the same reason; Dalek stories tend to end up being about him and not them. That's sorta what I'm saying here, too.
Like, it's better horror, and you can't deny that there's a horror element to the Borg at their best, when it's this faceless, implacable, unstopable horde that you can't even talk to...
Copernicus On The Science Of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS!!http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62867 (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62867)
For those who don’t know me, I occasionally write movie reviews for Ain’t It Cool News, but I’m also a professional astronomer. I occasionally write articles on the science of movies (most recently, AVENGERS), not because I want to nitpick at every little thing, but because it is a good chance to sneak in a little knowledge about how the universe works. But I also do it because I get annoyed when writers get lazy and don’t think twice or talk to a scientist, and as a result produce movies that are way less cool than they ought to be. And at the same time, I want to celebrate those awe-inspiring moments in movies that do mean more if they are based in real science.
NIBIRU, SERIOUSLY?
Sadly, right from the title card you can tell STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS has disdain rather than respect for science. The planet Kirk and company are there to interfere with is named Nibiru. This is a made up idea by some certified nutbars who have claimed that it is a rogue planet variously hiding in our own solar system(!) or about to zoom through it, somehow ending life on Earth by bringing about a “pole shift,” or some such [nonsense]. Nibiru was originally mixed up in this Comet Hale-Bopp craziness in 1997, then it was claimed it would destroy humanity in 2003, and then people attached it to 2012 Maya stupidity.
I know Bob Orci, one of the writers of Star Trek, is a conspiracy nut. We’ve gotten into arguments about whether the Big Bang happened. Maybe he was just trolling professional astronomers by slipping Nibiru in there? After all, he didn’t like my take on the science of the 2009 STAR TREK, even though I was positive on the movie. I don’t care what the reason is -- stunts like this are a slap in the face to what made Star Trek great in the first place. One of the many legacies of Star Trek is thousands of astronomers and astronauts who were inspired to devote their lives to uncovering the awe and wonder of the universe because of the show’s message of cooperation and exploration. Shame on you, JJ Abrams and Bob Orci, for defiling the legacy of Star Trek by valuing lazy delusional paranoia over its true principles: critical thinking and reason.
THE VULCAN-OLOGIST
According to the dialogue near the beginning of the film, a volcano is about to erupt on the planet that will wipe out all life on it, or at least civilization. Is this plausible? It is true that large volcanic eruptions over Earth’s history have killed tens of thousands of locals at a time. And Earth’s history is filled with records of volcanic eruptions affecting temperatures globally, sometimes for years after the eruption. Effects have even included the “year without a summer.” Some have speculated that the one of the largest known volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history, the Toba event from about 70,000 years ago, was responsible for a genetic bottleneck in human mitochondrial DNA. However, that idea seems to be contradicted by other evidence, so isn’t widely believed.
But what about other planets? At 14 miles high and covering the size of France, Olympus Mons on Mars makes Earth volcanoes look puny in comparison. And Venus may have been resurfaced by volcanism about 500 million years ago. Io, a moon of Jupiter, is constantly being repaved by sulphur-spewing volcanoes. Some shoot so high, they almost launch material into orbit.
But all of these scenarios have problems for wiping out all life on a planet. It takes many volcanic eruptions to cause catastrophic global effects. So stopping just one won’t do very much in the long term. On a volcanically active planet, there will be more.
Well, what if the planet were much smaller than Earth? Could you wipe out all life then? There are two problems with that -- one is that the surface gravity would be lower, so we’d see Kirk and crew bouncing all around. And the second is that small planets cool faster (that depends on the ratio of surface area to volume) and so don’t have a molten core, or volcanism, for long -- not on human evolutionary timescales. What about Io, you say? As a moon of Jupiter, it isn’t huge. That’s true, but its interior doesn’t cool because it is constantly heated by tidal forces from Jupiter.
What if all the humanoids only occupy a small region of the planet? That’s problematic because they would have been prone to catastrophe in the past. Basically, if life evolves on a planet for billions of years, it has to be stable on billion year timescales against catastrophes wiping out all life, even if it might have the occasional devastating event.
But the real problem is that if a planet is that volcanically active, plugging up a single volcano (a) isn’t likely to work, and (b) is just a short term solution. Why isn’t it likely to work? Let’s calculate how much energy is in a supervolcanic eruption -- the kind that didn’t even succeed at wiping out humans, but was the best the Earth could do. These explosions measure an 8 (the highest ranking) on the Volcanic Explosivity Index, and are thought to eject 1000 cubic kilometers of stuff more than 25 km high.
Great, we can estimate how much energy this is! It is just gravitational potential energy: U=mgh, where m=mass, h=height, and g=acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s2). How much does 1000 cubic kilometers of the Earth’s mantle weigh? The density is about 4000 kg per meter cubed. And there are a billion cubic meters in a cubic kilometer. So we have m = 4000 km/m3 (1000 km3) (109 m3 / km3) = 4x1015 kg. In round numbers, that makes the energy, U = mgh = 4x1015 kg (10 m/s2) (25,000 m) = 1021 J. A large nuclear weapon releases about 1017 J. So this volcano has the energy of about 10,000 of the largest nuclear weapons. That’s about how many there are on Earth. So basically, Spock’s little ice plug has to hold back the equivalent energy of all the nuclear weapons on Earth. And the newly-frozen surface that he’s standing beside is just the tip of the iceberg. And heat is just a small part of it. There are massive pressure forces in the planet too.
So he isn’t likely to succeed. But if he could, how would he go about it? There are endothermic reactions on Earth, like those “ice packs” that aren’t ice at all, but chemicals in a container you can break to mix them and turn the thing cold. That absorbs heat to change chemical bonds, but it is too inefficient for the amount of energy absorption we need here. And besides, they tell us that this is a “cold fusion device.” Ok, that makes no sense. Cold fusion, has of course been debunked -- this sounds like just another Orci / Abrams attempt at getting crackpottery being discussed by more people (see FRINGE). And besides, cold fusion is supposed to gain energy, not absorb it.
But ok, if I had to design something that you might call a “cold fusion device,” and have it get rid of energy, how would it work? Well, iron-56 is the most tightly bound atomic nucleus. Every time you fuse two nuclei lighter than that together, you get energy. That’s what powers the sun. Only hydrogen and helium (and a little lithium) were created in the Big Bang. All the other elements up to iron were forged in a star. But stellar fusion only works up to iron. If you try to fuse any two elements to make something heavier than that, you lose energy instead of gaining it. But you can do fusion beyond iron inside a certain kind of supernova (which is what I study professionally). That’s how we get all the elements heavier than iron. Take gold, for example. It was created in a supernova -- but it took energy to produce it.
So my idea for a “cold fusion device” would be to do just that: the kind of fusion where you absorb energy instead of gaining it. Looking at this chart, to get the biggest energy sink, we want to somehow fuse iron-56 (binding energy 8.8 Megaelectron Volts (MeV) per nuclear particle, or nucleon) to uranium-238 (7.6 MeV per nucleon). Doing that, we can absorb 8.8-7.6 = 1.2 MeV / nucleon = 2 x 10-13 Joules (J) / nucleon. To absorb 1021 J, it would take 1021 J / 2 x 10-13 J per nucleon = 5 x 1033 nucleons. Since Fe-56 has 56 nucleons (protons and neutrons) per atom, it would take 5 x 1033 / 56 = 1032 atoms of iron. A mole of iron (6 x 1023 atoms) has 56 g of it, so 56g (1032 atoms) / (6 x 1023 atoms) = 1010 g = 107 kg = 2 x 107 lb. So to absorb all the energy in the volcano, Spock’s “cold fusion device” would have to weigh 20 million pounds! He’d start with that much iron and end up with about that much uranium. If he wanted to be an alchemist, he could start with a bigger bomb and turn it all into gold. (Medieval alchemists failed because they didn’t have hot enough ovens).
Also: why didn’t they just beam the “bomb” right into the volcano? They couldn’t beam into the volcano because they needed a direct line of sight? [nonsense], the Enterprise beams people through entire planets on a daily basis. You never hear: “Beam me up, Scotty.” “But Cap’n we have to wait until our orbit is above your position, so hold on for an hour or so.” And if so, big deal, fly over the damn thing and beam it in. And don’t give me some BS about how Spock had to arm it. We already have volcano-exploring robots. No, correction, we already had them twenty friggin years ago.
WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW ENTERPRISE
But now here’s the really ridiculous part. Why was the Enterprise hiding underwater? It makes no goddamn sense. You can’t transmit electromagnetic waves underwater, at least not normal ones, since saltwater attenuates them. This is a huge problem for submarines. Normal radio communications don’t work. Only extremely low frequency (ELF) waves (3-300 Hz) will penetrate a significant distance undersea. Because of the low frequency, these transmissions have low bit rates -- you can only transmit text, and only a few characters a minute. And it is one-way -- from a land base to a submarine -- the tricks you have to use to do this are such that you couldn’t have a transmitter on a sub. So the messages tend to be short -- like “surface” or “send a buoy to the surface to communicate.” Or, my favorite, go to the underwater telephone! They have these stations set up where they can communicate acoustically. You can’t reply using ELF from the sub because these are very long wavelength waves -- thousands of kilometers. You’d need an antenna a good fraction of the size of the Earth to transmit. The US military had a batshit insane plan, Project Sanguine, to build 6000 miles of antenna covering 40% of the state of Wisconsin, powered by 10 underground power plants. They ended up devising another trick, using the Earth itself to act as part of the antenna. Now they probably use HAARP to make the ionosphere into an antenna.
In the actual movie, I think they can still communicate with the Enterprise underwater (fine, who knows how those damn communicators work -- they do have “subspace” communications in Star Trek after all), but they can’t use the transporters. Indeed you couldn’t -- those things have to be either beamed energy or matter, and that wouldn’t work underwater.
But you know else wouldn’t work underwater? Everything! Take thrusters, for example, which are simple plasma jets that we see working later in the movie. Or the shields, which are no doubt electromagnetic (as opposed to the metal and kevlar shields on the International Space Station). I’m just giving them the fact that the force fields that provide structural integrity when the ship experiences extreme accelerations can save them from the underwater pressure.
But the main point is that, as every engineer knows, if you are building something, every new requirement forces you to make design tradeoffs. So if you are building mankind’s foremost tool for exploring vast distances in the galaxy, you want it to excel at that. You can’t have the design compromised by all these idiotic things that would allow it to go underwater just in case there was a sub-moron for a starship captain. This is why you never see flying cars, car-boats, airplane-boats, ship-trains, etc., outside of a few nuts who don’t understand this design principle. It is *way* better to design a boat that is good at being a boat and a car that is good at being a car, instead of something that sucks at both.
And the only reason they were underwater was to hide!?! You don’t have to hide when you can friggin’ orbit and you are dealing with a paleolithic society. And how, exactly, are you hiding, when you are parked right next to this giant settlement of people! You had to get down there and get out somehow? And by hiding in the water, you give up your most important ability. The ability to [intercourse gerund] teleport! Oh you’ve got some arrows? That’s nice, I can DISAPPEAR! Jesus this version of Kirk is criminally stupid. Oh and one other thing. This isn’t science, but I can’t help myself. The real Kirk wouldn’t run from tribesmen, or any other threat for that matter.
Interestingly enough, when Kirk and Bones jump in the water, they rocket down to the Enterprise. Jet boots! I was watching the movie with my friend and fellow astrophysicist, Ben Mazin, who invented something called Jet Boots -- a diving propulsion system used by militaries. He flipped out. Real-world Jetboots don’t emit bubbles, but the ones on Star Trek do. This raises the question -- why were Kirk and Bones wearing this underwater propulsion system in the first place? Seems like they knew they were going to have to jump off a cliff and swim to the enterprise. So that monster they were going to hitch a ride on was only to take them a few hundred meters? Sounds like a ridiculous plan.
Also, would they be ok from the pressure if they zoomed down underwater like that? Remarkably, yes! People have free-dived hundreds of meters. Your lungs shrivel into a tiny ball from the pressure, but blood plasma seeps in, keeping them from completely collapsing and damaging them. Free divers can go much farther down than SCUBA divers, because they aren’t breathing the high pressure air that divers breathe. That leads to nitrogen dissolved in the bloodstream, and when you try to rise too quickly, you could get the bends. Now, once Kirk and McCoy were onboard the submerged Enterprise, they, along with the rest of the crew, would be breathing high pressure air. So there’s a limit to how fast the Enterprise could safely rise, which would decrease the pressure. And even then, nitrogen would remain in the bloodstream of all the crew members on the Enterprise for 24 hours. You aren’t supposed to fly for 24h after diving (much less go into space), because the low cabin pressure on airplanes would cause that nitrogen to outgass from your blood and tissues and give you the bends. So, good job, Kirk, you’ve killed the entire crew because of your stupid desire to take the Enterprise underwater.
(Continued next post)
THESE PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF WARPhttp://www.aintitcool.com/node/62867 (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/62867)
Ok, we know from relativity that you can’t travel faster than light. The way around that in the Star Trek universe is that you warp space, kind of folding it and shortening the distance between two points. Then you are actually going at sublight speeds in the warp bubble, but the in another reference frame you are going faster than the speed of light. That’s why Trek ships are designed the way they are -- these enormous space-warping nacelles are kept separate from engineering and the crew quarters.
This has a few consequences. For one, you can’t just warp right out of spacedock. This is quite well established in all previous incarnations of STAR TREK. Can you imagine what warping space around a spacedock would do? Oh let’s take all the space this dock is contained in and collapse it all together! WRATH OF KHAN showed how you pilot a ship out of spacedock.
What a masterful scene that is. In just a few minutes it simultaneously: shows off the majesty of the Enterprise, establishes how Kirk is truly no longer in command of the Enterprise and is uncomfortable with it, “humanizes” Lt. Saavik as being completely unexperienced despite her overconfident demeanor, shows that this scenario where Spock is in command, but Kirk is on the Enterprise, is awkward, provides no small measure of verisimilitude by drawing parallels between a space ship and a seafaring vessel, and on top of it all, allows the score to soar! This is the problem with STAR TREK INTO STUPIDITY in a nutshell. It discards these key moments that ground the characters in humanity, ground the fantastic elements in both the lore of the series and parallels to our reality, and provide breathing room and awe.
In fact, they don’t even like to go to warp inside the solar system in real STAR TREK. The stated reason is that they could run into something, like an asteroid. But it makes sense for another reason too. These ships are analogous to boats. In a real boat, you don’t just go cruising at top speed through an area with a lot of other boats, or a residential area, because you make waves that are really annoying and possibly damaging to anyone who lives there. There is an is an analogous situation with gravitational waves. Einstein’s theory of relativity says that gravity distorts spacetime. Once prediction is that orbiting neutron stars or black holes produce gravitational waves -- ripples in the very fabric of spacetime. But it isn’t just orbiting superdense bodies, any large spacetime disturbance ought to do it, like, say, warping it to send a starship to superluminal speeds. Hulse and Taylor won the Nobel Prize in 1993 for showing that two orbiting neutron stars are losing energy and spiraling into each other due to the radiation of gravitational waves. We haven’t detected gravitational waves directly yet, but this may happen with the Advanced LIGO detectors come online in 2014.
DROP OUTS
It isn’t super-well established where Kronos is in Star Trek lore. The most direct statement is that in STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE, Archer says it is 4 days away at warp 4.5. Since that is about 80 times the speed of light, that puts it at 80*300,000 km/s * 345,600 s in 4 days / 9.4e12 km/ly = 0.88 lighyears (ly). That makes no sense -- the closest star to the Sun is about 4 lightyears away. Kronos must be less than 90 ly away, because at some point on Enterprise, after they’ve visited Kronos, they say 90 ly is the farthest they’ve traveled. Let’s be relatively conservative and say Kronos is only 10 ly away.
They get back from Kronos to Earth in about a minute in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. How fast are they traveling? If it would normally take you 10 years to get there, traveling at the speed of light, instead they do it faster by the number of seconds in 10 years divided by 60s in a minute. that’s c*3e8s/60s = 5 million times the speed of light. And remember that is pretty much a lower limit because I chose such a close distance for Kronos. That’s thousands of times faster than Starfleet ships are supposed to go, even the ones in the far future. Our galaxy is about 100,000 lyr across. At that speed you could cross it in 7 days. So much for the plot of the entire run of STAR TREK: VOYAGER!
And another ridiculously stupid thing about the plot: they drop out of warp (actually they are kind of shot out, they don’t seem to actually try to stop the Enterprise), almost on top of the Moon. The radius of the moon is 1700 km and it fills up the screen, so they must have been about 1000 km away from it. Traveling at the speed above, if they had come out of warp literally one nanosecond later, they would have crashed into the moon. Even if we want to be really ridiculous and say they were only traveling at the speed of light, they would have crashed into the moon 0.003 seconds later.
And then! To top it off, they start crashing into, what? Not the Moon, the Earth! I *think* some character mumbles something about them being caught in the Earth’s gravity, and they are all the sudden being pulled in. Here’s where the movie gets a little cloudy, or maybe it is just my understanding of what was supposed to be going on. Within a few minutes they are pulled from right next to the Moon all the way into the Earth’s atmosphere. This is just insane
Rather than go through some equations about how long this would take, instead we can just look at the case of Apollo 13. We launched a rocket from Earth, and due to a catastrophic failure of one of the oxygen tanks, they had to abort their lunar landing mission and move to a “free return” trajectory around the moon, and back to Earth. “Free return” just means that you don’t have to fire the rockets to return to Earth, you just use lunar gravity to swing you back around to Earth, with some minor course corrections. This is cool, because it tells us how long it takes a spaceship to “fall” back to Earth from the moon, if it can’t use its engines! In the case of Apollo 13, it took about 64 hours. Actually, that’s faster than it otherwise would have, because they did burn the descent engine two hours after swinging around the moon to speed their return to Earth by 10 hours. Anyway, the bottom line is that it takes *days*, not minutes, for a spacecraft to fall to Earth from lunar orbit.
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
When the Enterprise is falling into the Earth, it looks like it is falling straight into it, as if the two are balls on a string being drawn to each other. That’s not the way two bodies gravitationally attracted to each other work -- they approach each other on curved paths. Have you ever wondered why everything in space orbits something? It is because of conservation of angular momentum.
The most famous terrestrial example is an ice skater spinning. When she draws in her outstretched arms, she starts spinning faster and faster. The same thing would happen to the Enterprise as it fell to Earth. It wouldn’t fall straight in, it would kind of orbit. If it didn’t have the energy to make a complete orbit, it would still sort of half-loop around the Earth, and come in at an angle.
What energy would it have? Ignoring vectors, the formula for angular momentum (L) is L=rmv, where r is the distance from the axis of rotation to the thing rotating around it, m is the mass, and v is the velocity perpendicular to the line defined by r. We can make a ratio of the angular momentum at the Moon’s orbit and the angular momentum as the Enterprise enters the Earth’s atmosphere. Then, since angular momentum is conserved, and mass is conserved, these two quantities cancel. We’re left with vE=vM*(rM/rE). The ratio of the distance to the Moon to the Earth’s radius is about 60. That means whatever transverse velocity the Enterprise had at the orbit of the Moon would be amplified by a factor of 60 by the time it reached Earth, just due to conservation of angular momentum.
Would they have even crashed into the Earth? The escape velocity of the Earth (the velocity needed to achieve orbit) is about 7 km/s if you are already in space (it is higher if you have to leave the surface). And 7 km/s / 60 = about 100 m/s. So if the Enterprise was traveling at 100 meters per second or more relative to the Earth when it was at the Moon’s orbit, it never would have fallen all the way to the Earth, it would have attained orbital velocity by the time it reached the atmosphere. One hundred meters per second is not very fast -- that’s only ten times faster than a human can run! That’s nothing for a ship that just dropped out of warp and is being hit by projectiles. Just shoot a photon torpedo in the opposite direction and let the back reaction give you the tiny push to remain in orbit.
Fine, so you have to have them actually crash into Earth, because the script calls for it. My point is, show them streaking into the atmosphere at an angle, not falling directly down on the Earth. It is a small thing, but to anyone who knows science, it is glaring, and just shows that most people who worked on this movie know very little about physics and didn’t talk to anyone who did.
BEAM ME ACROSS THE GALAXY, SCOTTY
In the original STAR TREK series, they didn’t have the budget to show the Enterprise landing in every episode, so they invented transporters that could beam characters to the surface. But to keep this from becoming a solution to any problem, it had to have limitations: you can only do it over short distances, in certain conditions, etc. There was a bit of silliness involved, because it meant that every episode they had to lose communication with the ship or lose transporter functionality.
In STAR TREK (2009), the writers wrote themselves out of a plot hole by disregarding the way beaming works, deciding that their Scotty was so smart he came up with a way to beam people anywhere, any time. This is a classic example of sacrificing the future to pay for the present. To the (sort of) credit of the creators of STAR TREK OUT OF SANITY, they don’t just ignore this disaster, for better or worse, transwarp beaming is now a part of this new TREK universe. Kind of. Just as before, it is ignored when it is convenient. As in, almost all of the time. For example, why can’t Starfleet just transwarp beam the bomb into the volcano? Why can’t they just beam the villain back from the planet he escapes to? Why do they need super-advanced stealth torpedoes, when they can now just beam a bomb directly onto a planet or near a starship? Why didn’t they just beam the Starfleet commanders out of the room being attacked? (You’d think “fire alarms” in the future would just beam everyone in the room to a safe place).
This is a problem that plagues every aspect of this new incarnation of Trek: “red matter” from the 2009 STAR TREK obviates the need for any other kind of weapon, magic blood means you can revive the dead, automated starships mean you now don’t need a crew, transwarp beaming means you don’t need starships at all! It is lazy writing for a moment of kewl-factor, ignoring the fundamental consequences down the road. The original Trek universe was one with a rules and a logical underpinning. That’s absolutely necessary for the audience to buy into such a fantastical concept. In this one, it seems almost anything goes, and things just happen willy-nilly because the writers wrote it that way.
WHO BUILT MY BATTLESHIP?
A major plot point in STAR TREK INTO OBSCURITY is that a new class of starship is secretly being built in Jupiter orbit. Stupidly, the characters refer to the location of this starship as a set of coordinates, as if the thing is static in space and not in orbit around a planet. Yes, I realize there are four coordinates, as if time is one of them. Still doesn’t work. Astronomers don’t use coordinates like this for a reason.
Ok, so they’re building a giant new starship that is bigger, faster, and tougher than the Enterprise, and is so automated it requires almost no crew AND CAN EVEN BE RUN BY A SINGLE PERSON. This is moronic. First of all, why risk the lives of hundreds of people at any point in the future by having a huge crew on a starship? And second, this means the Enterprise has to be rebuilt for the next movie, because there is no way Starfleet is sending them out there in light of the Klingon threat with obsolete tech.
Also, why does this badass starship have giant, cavernous hangars with hangar doors that are about ten feet in diameter? And why would the crew be “private security” if clearly tens of thousands of people in Starfleet know about this operation. First, it is a project of the admiral in charge of Starfleet. Second, he has a whole research division devoted to it. Third, it takes thousands of people to build a modern aircraft carrier -- a starship is surely no different. Clearly this is a project approved at the highest levels of Starfleet and whatever government exists on Earth in the 23rd century. They are going to be pissed about Kirk’s meddling.
COINCIDENCES
In my review of this movie’s predecessor, I mentioned how it was a crazy coincidence (i.e. lazy writing) that out of all the area on a planet, Kirk crash-lands right next to where Spock is hiding in a cave, and just happens to run into that cave. At least you could kind of explain that by saying that the Enterprise sent Kirk to near where the Starfleet base was, and that’s where hobo Spock was hanging out too. But in this movie, our heroes head to an abandoned part of Kronos, only to be intercepted by Klingon warbirds, leading them on a chase through this area of the planet. Just when our heroes think they are free, they are surrounding by Klingons and forced to surrender. And who should just happen to be hanging out exactly where they land? Our villain, John Harrison! And it wasn’t because they knew where he was -- they might have initially been headed to his last known coordinates, but then they got diverted by the chase. To keep this scientific, let’s say they are traveling at the speed of a 747: 250 km/s. If they are being chased for a 100 seconds, that means they traveled 25 km on the surface. Even if they knew John Harrison was somewhere along that line that they had traveled, and he could have run there from 100m away, there‘s still only a 1 in 250 chance that they wold have landed near him.
Also, if John Harrison has this device that can beam him anywhere in the galaxy, why did he go to the Klingon homeworld? Why did he bring massive guns and carry them around on the planet? An Earth man wandering a Klingon planet with a giant gun. That doesn’t attract attention. None of it makes any sense.
I could go on about a great many things: why did they need the villain’s blood when they had 72 superhumans on the ship, how can you just kick a nuclear reactor to get it restarted, why didn’t they beam Kirk to sickbay, etc. But I’m just tired of all the nonsense in this movie. This isn’t science fiction, it is just a Michael Bay-level mindless action film shoehorned into an overly convoluted, senseless plot.
Star Trek creator to become part of space archivehttp://omg.yahoo.com/news/star-trek-creator-become-part-space-archive-193223046.html (http://omg.yahoo.com/news/star-trek-creator-become-part-space-archive-193223046.html)
Associated Press – 1 hour 37 minutes ago..
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Remains of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, his wife and the actor who played Scotty will get a final resting place in the "Final Frontier" under plans announced Thursday to launch a space archive.
The project is being developed by the Houston company Celestis, which for years has offered a service that takes partial remains into space and then brings them back.
Celestis announced the new project a day before a launch from Spaceport America takes its 1,000th capsule into space. Ashes from the Roddenberrys have been on previous flights.
But this time they will stay in space. Plans call for the archive to be launched with a large experimental solar sail planned by NASA next year. The public can pay to have digital files, photos and DNA samples included. Also on the mission will be hair from science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.
But can you do hotter?I could try to convince the boss if you really want...
...
hEt's a babe. Pleez?
'Star Trek' Superfans Restore Galileo Shuttlecraft to 1960s Sci-Fi Gloryhttp://www.space.com/21784-star-trek-galileo-shuttlecraft-restoration-unveiled.html (http://www.space.com/21784-star-trek-galileo-shuttlecraft-restoration-unveiled.html)
Tariq Malik, Managing Editor
Date: 29 June 2013 Time: 05:00 PM ET(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/030/408/original/galileo-shuttlecraft-restoration.jpg?1372537918)
The Galileo shuttlecraft from TV's "Star Trek" is shown fully restored after a yearlong project led by Trek superfan Adam Schneider of New Jersey. The restored Galileo was unveiled on June 22, 2013 at Master Shipwrights Inc., in Atlantic Highlands, N.J. CREDIT: SPACE.com/Karl Tate
A life-size spaceship prop from TV's original "Star Trek" series, once lost and in shambles, has been lovingly restored to its former glory by die-hard fans for a new mission: to live long and prosper as a museum piece.
After nine months of restoration, the Galileo shuttlecraft — a life-size spaceship prop from the iconic 1960s science fiction TV series — was publicly unveiled last week in a ceremony amid loud cheers from a crowd of "Star Trek" fans and friends on hand to see the ship before its sendoff to its final frontier. It shipped off Space Center Houston, the visitor's center for NASA's Johnson Space Center, on Wednesday (June 26).
"This is amazing," "Star Trek" superfan Adam Schneider told a crowd of more than 350 friends and fellow fans as he unveiled the restored Galileo on June 22 in Atlantic Highlands, N.J. Schneider bought the huge Trek spaceship prop at auction with the specific goal of restoring it and donating it to a museum for the public to enjoy. "Despite spending [nearly] 50 years basically outdoors, for a prop built to last a year or two, she's ready for her next journey."
Schneider unveiled the fully restored Galileo shuttlecraft, at Master Shipwrights Inc., a boat restoration company that performed the work on the Trek prop. Schneider's wife Leslie broke a bottle of champagne to commemorate Galileo's resurrection, but only off to the side so as not to damage the ship.
"This means a lot to everybody, all the fans," said Mike Stein of Nutley, N.J., who commands the U.S.S. Justice fan club and was one of the many "Star Trek" fans attending Galileo's unveiling. "This is going to be an inspiration of what our vision for the future was for the people who will see it."
One fan, amateur astronomer and retired psychiatrist Willie Yee of New Paltz, N.Y., drove to see Galileo in a white Toyota Prius modified to look like a "Star Trek" shuttlecraft, complete with a Federation flag symbol, Trek logo and striping and a bunch of Tribbles (fictional fuzzy critters from the show) in the trunk.
Warp speed to Houston
Galileo's new home is the museum Space Center Houston, which is located next door to NASA's Johnson Space Centerin Houston, Texas, the home base for the U.S. astronaut corps and Mission Control. There, the "Star Trek" shuttlecraft will be presented with other Space Age relics to help convey the history of the U.S. space program. Galileo will be formally unveiled at Space Center Houston on July 31.
"This will be a centerpiece in their display showing the linkage between science fiction and real space travel," Schneider said, adding that Galileo predated NASA's own space shuttle fleet by more than a decade. "This will be the iconic piece in the best possible home at the gateway of the manned space program. [Galileo Shuttlecraft to Land at Space Center Houston (Video)]
The Galileo shuttlecraft made its "Star Trek" debut in 1967 in the episode "Galileo Seven," in which the ship ferries crewmembers (including commander Spock) from show's starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise, down to the surface of a hostile planet. The Galileo is damaged, leaving the crew to find a way to survive until they can be rescued.
Built by car customizer Gene Winfield, the Galileo shuttlecraft is about 23 feet (7 meters) long and has 5.5-foot (1.7 m) ceiling height. It was primarily made of painted wood and sheet metal over a steel frame. The huge prop appeared in seven Trek episodes before the series was canceled in 1969 after a three-season run.
"This is easily the largest 'Star Trek' prop in the wild, and this is a spaceship," Schneider said. "It's not a chair, it's not a ray gun … it's a spaceship."
Galileo's real-life trek
After the original "Star Trek" TV series cancellation, Galileo's voyage truly began. The shuttlecraft was initially donated to a school for the blind, and then resold to a series of collectors and would-be restorers until June 2012, when Schneider bought the Trek prop in an online auction. He has not disclosed the cost of Galileo or its restoration.
But Schneider's goal of restoring Galileo for donation seemed a daunting challenge. By the time obtained Galileo, the shuttlecraft was in bad shape. Time and the elements had left Galileo little more than a shade if its former self. And the shuttlecraft did not come with an instruction manual either, Schneider said.
"My plan right away was to buy it, figure out what to do to restore it, and then to donate it," Schneider said. "I was told by an awful lot of people that it was too far gone, that too many years had passed, that it would be too hard."
Working with his partner "Star Trek" blogger Alec Peters, Schneider and the team at Master Shipwrights — led by craftsman Hans Mikatis — tracked down vital details about Galileo to restore it as accurately as possible. By tapping into the expertise of that fan base, Schneider and Peters were able to identify key details for Galileo such as the markings on the side not facing the camera during its television appearances.
One Trek fan even built a key component for Galileo's restoration, a small compartment filled with electronic-like gear mounted to the aft of the shuttlecraft.
"There are no plans of the ship, as built, that we've ever found," Schneider said. "But there are a lot of pictures of it, and a lot of fans."
Now, with Galileo one its way to Houston (it was shipped overland by truck) the end of its long voyage is in sight.
"I hate to admit it, but I think Adam and I are going to miss you," Leslie Schneider told the shuttlecraft during its unveiling. "Live long and prosper, Galileo, and warp speed to Houston."
'Star Trek's' Shuttlecraft Galileo to Be Unveiled at Houston Museum Wednesdayhttp://news.yahoo.com/star-treks-shuttlecraft-galileo-unveiled-houston-museum-wednesday-151314104.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-treks-shuttlecraft-galileo-unveiled-houston-museum-wednesday-151314104.html)
SPACE.com
by Miriam Kramer, Staff Writer 2 hours ago
After close to 50 years in disarray, an iconic piece of restored "Star Trek" memorabilia is about to boldly go on display in its new home.
On Wednesday (July 31), Space Center Houston — the visitor's center for NASA's Johnson Space Center in Texas — will unveil the new permanent display for the Shuttlecraft Galileo, a life-size spaceship prop from the original 1960s "Star Trek" TV series.
The Galileo's restorer, "Star Trek" superfan Adam Schneider, thinks that the space center — which is next to NASA's home base for Mission Control and the astronaut corps. — is the ideal place for the shuttlecraft.
"If somebody told me when I was a little kid that I'd be donating a spaceship to NASA, I would have said that they were kidding," Schneider, whose restoration took about nine months, told SPACE.com. "How does it feel? It feels amazing. It almost feels like it's all downhill from here because this is such a high. It feels truly like a success."(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Tu0gTNub23YWn46o0dul4w--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQzMDtweW9mZj0wO3E9ODU7dz01NzU-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/%27Star_Trek%27s%27_Shuttlecraft_Galileo_to-a1d661f2dfbb25af7c9f753bae7d7eb8)
The Galileo shuttlecraft from TV's "Star Trek" is shown fully restored after a yearlong project led by Star Trek superfan Adam Schneider of New Jersy.
The Galileo's road to Houston has been a long one. Before Schneider won it at auction in June 2012, the shuttlecraft was in shambles. Schneider and his wife Leslie employed the help of craftsman Hans Mikaitis and his team of ship restorers at Master Shipwrights in Atlantic Highlands, N.J. to help return the shuttlecraft to its former glory.
The finished 23 foot (7 meter) long Galileo was revealed for the first time in late June before a crowd of more than 350 "Star Trek" fans and friends of the restorers before being shipped via truck to Texas for tomorrow's opening.
"The life-size spaceship will be on permanent display inside the Zero-G Diner and will be one of the few exhibitions in the world where visitors can see iconic sci-fi history that influenced generations of innovators," officials from Space Center Houston wrote on the center's website.
Space Center Houston will host a public event in honor of the arrival of Galileo on Wednesday. A celebrity panel will discuss the influence of science fiction on space exploration and an astronaut will make a presentation.
"Like any good project, when it ends you're a little regretful because the experience was positive," Schneider said. "We had fabulous people to work with. We had a fabulous experience in the 'Star Trek' community, so I think we're a little sad and regretful that it's over at one level. On another level, this is a permanent addition to the fan base, so to speak, and we're really very proud that it actually is going where it's going."
Not to mention they indirectly inspired many of the greatest technological advances in general: The concept for cellular phones and personal, portable computers can be attributed to Star Trek.
I'm aware of a few subtle hints that our leader likes Star Trek, at least fake Star Trek, and I know I LOVE the REAL Star Trek, so let's talk about it...
;lolHow exactly is Wrath of Khan bad Star Trek?
I concluded the same thing shortly after seeing In Search of Spock in the theater back in the day.
For a nickel, in fact, I'd throw out Wrath of Khan too. Despite being the only Trek film that was actually good, it wasn't really Trek. Things have continued to degenerate since, and without being good, for the most part.
It's really military, it's a story about a fight with a bad guy instead of exploring or the Big Space Thing, and the thematic spine of the narrative is about getting old. Not a bad theme, mind you, but not a terribly Star Trek one.The problem is that you can't really do "classic" Trek as well in films because it doesn't translate as well into a two hour format. The three closest attempts were The Motion Picture, The Undiscovered Country and Insurrection, and none of them were particularly successful (but Insurrection suffers from the fact that all of the TNG movies are bad). Those are about, respectively, discovering something strange and unknown in space; space politics; and a boring Planet-Of-The-Week episode played out in long form.
ST was about a lot of things week-to-week, sure, so that's not a major knock on the flick. It's the uniforms and all the "Permission to come aboard?" stuff that really puts me off.
And you're totally correct about the size of the shadow it cast - subsequent movies had the look and feel I didn't love, without the quality...
The problem is that you can't really do "classic" Trek as well in films because it doesn't translate as well into a two hour format. The three closest attempts were The Motion Picture, The Undiscovered Country and Insurrection, and none of them were particularly successful (but Insurrection suffers from the fact that all of the TNG movies are bad). Those are about, respectively, discovering something strange and unknown in space; space politics; and a boring Planet-Of-The-Week episode played out in long form.I can't agree that it can't be done well, just because it hasn't been.
I'll agree though that the military side of Starfleet gets overexposed in the films, though it is ever present in the TV series, especially The Original Series, where Kirk at one point flat out says that he is a soldier first and foremost (Errand of Mercy, I believe).
::shrug:: Movies have bigger budgets and Gene Roddenberry was an arrogant turd who took himself MUCH too seriously... so his wife still insists that everybody take him much too seriously, too.Roddenberry actually had nothing to do with Wrath of Khan or any of the Trek movies past The Motion Picture, since Paramount kicked him out after it failed to perform at the box office. Also Majel Barret died a few years ago.
STAR TREK was always intended to be WAGON TRAIN in space. Roddenberry himself said that many times. It's pulp fiction and it's not supposed to be grand or meaningful or say much of anything. It's just entertainment.
Roddenberry himself got so puffed up and full of himself that he forgot that, and with bigger budgets come bigger pretensions.
Very few big budget films, now that I think of it, have done pulp right. JURASSIC PARK III is one of the few, as is CONGO. But as soon as the TERMINATOR franchise got some money, it stopped being pulpy and started being preachy.
Pulp may have to be cheap. Maybe that's part of the essence.
Knowing what I've come to know and surmise about the man, I wouldn't go that far, but cannot understand why people who knew him loved him so.I don't think they really did love him so much as they loved what he created.
While those power struggles were going on, he was strongly asserting that Star Trek wasn't about space battles, which peeved authors wanting to write novels along those lines off to no end. He wouldn't have approved of the Dominion War seasons, no.I think it was more portraying the Federation as anything less than a perfect communist utopia that he would have objected to.
Socialist. The Federation is not communist. People get what they want in addition to what they need, and they don't seem to be required to give back anything in exchange... at least, not if they are willing to settle for basic, subsistence level life.It's hard to make that compelling television though. I'd argue that non-mainstream sexuality being taboo is more a limitation of it being a television show than what would reasonably occur in that kind of setting.
The central government takes care of everyone, and demands nothing in return... which is only made possible because they have INSANELY cheap energy, plus the ability to rearrange matter at will.
What drives me crazy about STAR TREK is that they don't use their technology logically, nor does their technology change their behavior in any way. I mean, yeah, it's pretty much eliminated racism or petty crime, but... people still get old. Non mainstream sexuality is still obviously taboo. People still get sick. It's annoyingly stupid.
[ninja'd; also, what Sigma said]
You're judging it by print standards. Screen SF STILL hasn't caught up, and ST was contemporary to Lost in Space. The context matters.
TV and movies maybe aren't good at exploring the future in a smart way - at least, no one's impressed me with that sort of thing, onscreen. Different media do tend to have different strengths. [shrugs] I wish I could get my sister on here to talk about characterization and soap opera, and why girls like Star Trek, and not so much Larry Niven novels...
Roddenberry was interested in compelling television. I'm interested in either good science fiction or good pulp. STAR TREK was almost never the first and hardly ever the second.Then go read Consider Phlebas by the aforementioned Ian M. Banks. It's exactly what you'd surmise the Federation would evolve into given enough time, and it's a pretty good book too.
BSG wasn't designed to be hard science though; it's science has about the same degree of accuracy and integrity as, say, Star Wars, and knowing that it's an intentional decision allowed me to enjoy the show for its merits rather than for failing astrophysics class. As for your comments on culture, you're absolutely right and that is largely irrelevant; the show isn't about the kind of clothing people wear or what card games they play, the show is about how the characters deal with faith, doubt, betrayal and destiny, as well as cool space dogfights.
BSG wasn't designed to be hard science though; it's science has about the same degree of accuracy and integrity as, say, Star Wars, and knowing that it's an intentional decision allowed me to enjoy the show for its merits rather than for failing astrophysics class. As for your comments on culture, you're absolutely right and that is largely irrelevant; the show isn't about the kind of clothing people wear or what card games they play, the show is about how the characters deal with faith, doubt, betrayal and destiny, as well as cool space dogfights.
Then it shouldn't be dressed up with the trappings of 'science fiction'. In science fiction, the science is important. Apologists who come in afterward and whine and boo hoo because, you know, a show that's about people living in a gigantic space craft for years while they flee from renegade robots of their own creation... oh, THAT show isn't REALLY about science... frankly, I have no time for that. To say that STAR WARS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, or STAR TREK "aren't about the science" is just stupid. If they're not about the science, then that is an inherent and unforgivable flaw in how the show is conceived and executed, because they ARE about the science, or they aren't science fiction.
Well, CAT WHO WALKS THROUGH WALLS, like most of the last few Heinleins (except FRIDAY and JOB) is very weak and kind of stupid, compared to the original material that RAH is trying to go back and 'correct'. Read TIME ENOUGH FOR LOVE, and throw out your copies of BEAST, CAT, and SUNSET.
Oh, holodecks would destroy society if they were as freely available as they seem to be in STAR TREK. Few would have the strength of character to deal with the problems of the real world and real people if they could live in a programmed fantasy land all the time.
Wasn't it the Dilbert guy who observed that the holodeck would be humanity's LAST invention?
Well, it starts with the plainly observable fact that everyone's artificial gravity is insanely reliable.
My theory is, all pulp fiction takes place in a virtual reality. Especially superhero fiction. In these virtual realities, the laws of physics are just code. You want a character/person to do extraordinary things, change the code.
My theory is, all pulp fiction takes place in a virtual reality. Especially superhero fiction. In these virtual realities, the laws of physics are just code. You want a character/person to do extraordinary things, change the code.Yeah, but it's more fun to pretend it's real and try to make sense of it. A game at least as old as the existence of nerds.
My theory is, all pulp fiction takes place in a virtual reality. Especially superhero fiction. In these virtual realities, the laws of physics are just code. You want a character/person to do extraordinary things, change the code.Yeah, but it's more fun to pretend it's real and try to make sense of it. A game at least as old as the existence of nerds.
So I conclude this: in the ST universe, there's stuff about how gravity works that was discovered by the mid 90's. Khan's ship had artificial gravity, and it wasn't spinning or accelerating. So there's a way to make, dunno, a gravity deck plating cheaply that works for a very long time with little or no power input. Every race discovers this application of the law of gravity pretty soon after they go into space. The same, or similar, techniques make for a nifty non-reaction gravity drive, which Starfleet calls "impulse". A slightly more sophisticated application involving the interaction of fields from two gravity generatorsdistortswarps space-time and makes for a nifty FTL drive. Thus, everyone and his mother has a FTL starship with two drive pylons of some sort. Both types of drive take a lot more juice then the deck plates because the gravity fields, by the nature of the thing, are not static, but have to expand and contract and vary in intensity. That Warp is probably by an order of magnitude more power-hungry than Impulse naturally follows.
About Doctor Who - if the Beebe would hire a good writer, good video editor and good sound mixer, there's a mint to be made going through all the intact stories of the old show and editing them down to the length the story wanted to be, sans the pointless/boring running around that didn't advance the plot and served only to pad that sucker out to 4-6 episodes when 2 would have done.
It's something I've noticed time and again, even when watching the good ones with the 4th Doctor and Romanna - over half is always boring filler. (Mylochka and I watched Castrovalva last night, which was deadly bad for the first half it took to even get to the eponymous locality, then suddenly became not-terrible once TristanDoctor hit town.) I'm not advocating something like Star Trek Remastered with fixing the special effects to so-so results. You'd still be stuck with the old scripts, old performances, much of the old sets, and all the costumes. But good stories and bad alike could all benefit from tighter pacing and getting to the good parts a lot faster.
The BBC could make a mint selling DVDs of the old show to the same fans all over again, and have something much more likely to appeal to new fans and curious fans of the current version. This is something even you or I could do crudely on the computer with something like Windows Movie Maker, provided only the will, the patience, and some good story-telling skills - and I wish some fans would, in hopes of the right people at the beebe seeing it on YouTube and getting inspired.
I'd really like to see a Good Parts version of Castrovalva, you see...
WHO is probably too big and diffuse for Make Sense Game to work - but I'll award five internets to anyone who can satisfactorily work out and explain how Space: 1999 was even faintly possible...
(I think a wizard did it.)
Yeah. Something well over half the human race and closer to 90% of the broadcast news facilities are situated on a coast, and if that happened to the Moon, they'd most all be dead in hours. Alpha might catch a local newscast from Colorado, and it would be all Armageddon, not widespread disaster. This is assuming it's traveling, at that point, slow enough for speed of light transmissions to catch up, slow enough that doppler effects don't screw up the frequency too bad for the communications system to adjust.
And at the beginning of the second hour, the Moon arrives in a new solar system, having traveled FTL, and dawdles there long enough for some Eagle flights and an adventure...
Galaxy Quest is the seventh greatest Star Trek movie ever made, according to Trek fans -- who also judged this summer's Star Trek Into Darkness to be the worst of all time. At least that's the pronouncement of fans from this past weekend's Star Trek 2013 Convention in Las Vegas, who were invited to rank the movies inspired by Gene Roddenberry's long-running space fantasy.
our editor recommends
How Many 'Star Trek' Cosplayers Can You Fit Into One Convention Hall?Box Office Report: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' on Course for $83 Million Debut'Star Trek's' Urban Wants More Originality in Third InstallmentAs Badass Digest's Devin Faraci shared, attendees to the "One Trek Mind Live" panel this weekend were asked to order the 12 official Trek movies -- and 1999's Galaxy Quest, which gently parodied the franchise and its fandom -- in terms of preference.
RELATED: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci to Return to Write Next 'Star Trek' (Exclusive)
The results were pretty much as you might expect -- Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was the favorite film, closely followed by Star Trek: First Contact, the second Next Generation movie, while the much-maligned Star Trek V: The Final Frontier propped up the bottom of the list -- with the distaste for Into Darkness coming out as the biggest surprise.
According to Faraci, "Star Trek Into Darkness was met with boos when it was mentioned, and one guy took the mic to say these reboots shouldn't even be considered for a list of Star Trek movies." Into Darkness was met with hardcore fan apathy when released in May -- although both fans and mainstream audiences seemed to enjoy it -- but that it's unpopular to the point of booing (or being named the least popular movie in the series, for that matter) may be something that Paramount and executive producers/writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman might want to take into account before planning the third movie in the rebooted serie
I desperately wanted to hate First Contact, and it has some non-trivial flaws, but I found myself loving it.Not a big Into Darkness fan I see?
I 'spose we could wrangle out our own rating list of the movies, but I haven't seen Nemesis or Wrath of the Abomination...
I'm just old-school with the Trek, and being nasty about it. ;DI watched Star Trek: Generations yesterday. (They give us one ST movie each Tuesday this summer on a network).
I hated it the most of any ST movie, (only one of which was actually inarguably good, though I liked a few others okay, and have hated more of them than otherwise.)I'm just old-school with the Trek, and being nasty about it. ;DI watched Star Trek: Generations yesterday. (They give us one ST movie each Tuesday this summer on a network).
BUncle: anything caustic to say about the movie?
Do you really want me to go into it?I'll go into it but not at 11:45PM here.
What's with the dances with aliens pic?
He ain't right is my take on it...
In honor of stupid-looking foreheads...
Paramount Bundling ‘World War Z’ And ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ As Double Feature
By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday August 27, 2013 @ 6:10pm PDT
Tags: Paramount, Star Trek Into Darkness, World War Z
inShare
1
COMMENTS (9)
World War Z Star Trek Into Darkness Double FeatureThe studio plans to squeeze more life out of its undead hit and space sequel. Paramount and a clutch of exhibitors are going back to the future for a week with an old-fashioned double feature of summer tentpoles World War Z and Star Trek Into Darkness starting Friday. The twin bill screens in 3D or 2D through September 5 in select AMC, Regal, Carmike, Marcus and other World War Z Star Trek Into Darkness Double Featuretheaters for the price of a single ticket. It’s the second stunt playdates for Brad Pitt’s zombie flick — third if you count a late-add IMAX run — following its $50 “Mega Ticket” deal that included an advance screening, a home video copy of the film, 3D glasses, a poster and popcorn. With more than $526 million worldwide, WWZ is Pitt’s highest-grossing film ever. J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness has banked $458.7M worldwide and spawned another sequel.
If you could live your life again, would you change a thing or leave it all the same?
- If you had the chance again, would you change a thing at all?
- When you look back at your past, can you say that you are proud of what you've done?
- Are there times when you believe that the right you thought was wrong?[/b][/i]
Redesigning 'Star Trek': the original series brought to life in 80 pulp postershttp://www.theverge.com/2013/9/5/4697206/redesigning-star-trek-the-original-series-in-80-posters (http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/5/4697206/redesigning-star-trek-the-original-series-in-80-posters)
Artist Juan Ortiz turned an obsession into a great new book
By Andrew Webster on September 5, 2013 10:06 am
For 30 days in 2011, Juan Ortiz gave himself a task: create a new poster every day, each one illustrating a single episode of the original Star Trek series. "I had little sleep during that time," he says. When he was finished, some friends convinced him to reach out to CBS directly. The posters were a hit, and with CBS' blessing, Ortiz ultimately managed to make one for each of the original series' 80 episodes. The results have been collected in a new book called Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz, which for the artist is something of a love letter to the show. "The original series is ingrained in my head," he explains.
The designs feature a vintage style, with some reminiscent of classic movie posters and others harking back to the covers of pulp sci-fi novels. According to Ortiz, what makes them work — and fun to work on — is the sheer diversity of the episodes he illustrated. "Each episode is its own story," he says. "A court drama, a monster flick, a love story, a war story, a western, etc. So it was easy to approach each episode on its own merits and not be bored with the same idea throughout. I was also my own art director, so I had the freedom to create images of just about anything that I wanted, unhindered by the series' low budget — like dragons on Vulcan."
"Each episode is its own story.".
Ortiz has worked as an artist and illustrator since 1985, creating images for the likes of Disney, Warner Bros., and DC Comics. But despite this experience, he claims he doesn't really have a style of his own, which came in handy for this particular project. "I tend to see things as though they were designed by someone else," says Ortiz, "mostly by designers that have inspired me. I have an eclectic taste in genres, music, movies, and books, so the challenge was to create images that were inspired by works that I love, rather than copied."
Some of the best loved episodes proved intimidating to illustrate, and Ortiz's favorite was a poster that almost didn't even get made. The first pilot episode for the original series, known as "The Cage," was filmed in 1965, but didn't actually air until 1988, well over a decade after the show was off the airwaves. Because of this, it was the last piece he worked on, and it was a challenge to get it finished by CBS' deadline. "It was also the most colorful, having been inspired by the artist Shag," Ortiz explains. "Shag is the reason that I taught myself vector art; I had fun adding the copy, too."
You can check out a few of Ortiz's posters below, but be sure to grab Star Trek: The Art of Juan Ortiz to get the full experience.
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164423/1.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164421/2.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164379/3.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164359/4.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164327/5.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164335/6.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164351/7.jpg)
.
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164343/8.jpg)
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164347/9.jpg)
(http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3164355/10.jpg)
Ooops, included a regular episode in there too..There's someone who liked Majicks? Huh. The web is a weird and wonderful thing.
Here's a poster from my pal Ptrope... He's the only person I know who actually claims this episode as a favorite...
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1319.0;attach=6837)
They're great pulp, though.
Damn, those eyes AND lips are tantalizing...
Happy 47th Birthday, Star Trek! :bot: ;spock
Not bad indeed.That would be wrong.
But how about the original cast in TNG uniforms? ;)
Our little Chekov is all grown up.
I think he looks better now without the toupee or pathetically-combed hair than when I met him at a con thirty years ago.
It's a "station" not a "ship" ?Feh. I'm asking what everyone who has a look asks. It had engines, and obviously wasn't too fast in Newtonian space, but it moved and had an FTL drive. It was built to move around and menace planets that didn't toe the imperial line. It's a ship.
It's a "station" not a "ship" ?
Love how they just handwave HOW the thing moved, though, don't ya? We just cut to the next shot where it's around another planet. A lot of the early "technical" stuff hand waved it too.Everything about SW that isn't on the screen is way too nerdy. Read up on Bobba Fett on Wookipedia sometime. EU is the very definition of nerdz never ever leaving well enough alone.
It would dwarf pretty much everything else there, IIUC, probably just too big to put on there.
(Also of note ROTJ pretty much denounces most of the 'technical' drawings of how the death star works, but that's getting way too nerdy.)
Way too much... Stargate junk.Wow!
How 'Star Trek' Vision of Future Inspired Next Generation Actor LeVar Burtonhttp://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-vision-future-inspired-next-generation-actor-114052488.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-vision-future-inspired-next-generation-actor-114052488.html)
SPACE.com
by Miriam Kramer, Staff Writer 15 hours ago
(http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ux8bdpGsw3vyZmJ9sdXoMA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTgwMDtweW9mZj0wO3E9ODU7dz01Mzc-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/How_%27Star_Trek%27_Vision_of-8f0db65db41ed666bab3cd9722377807)
Levar Burton as Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.”
Playing Geordi La Forge on TV's "Star Trek: The Next Generation" was more than just a job to actor LeVar Burton.
Gene Roddenberry's "Star Trek," which preceded "The Next Generation", gave Burton a glimpse into a hopeful future as a child growing up during the civil rights movement in the United States. Burton started off as a fan of the venerable TV show, he said last week at the third annual 100 Year Starship symposium, a conference looking at ways to inspire people around the world to get involved in sending humanity to the stars.
"I was a young, black kid growing up in Sacramento, California, hooked on sci-fi," Burton said. "'Star Trek' was one of the few representations of the future that included me. I was really attached to Gene's vision. … 'Star Trek' has always represented that hopeful aspect of this yearning that we have. When I was a kid, that was the present I wanted to live in."
Burton also thinks that science fiction today has a lot to learn from "Star Trek's" vision of the space-faring world of the future: "I wish there were more hope in the science fiction voice," Burton said.
Instead of competing for resources, the residents of the "Star Trek" universe learn how to get along and cooperate, without letting issues of class, gender or economics get in the way for the most part, Burton said.
Burton isn't the only "Star Trek" actor who started off as a fan inspired by the show. Whoopi Goldberg, who played bartender Guinan on "Star Trek: The Next Generation", also remembers watching the original "Star Trek" series when she was growing up in the 1960s.
"Well, when I was 9 years old, 'Star Trek' came on," Goldberg has said, as quoted by startrek.com. "I looked at it, and I went screaming through the house, 'Come here, Mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there's a black lady on television, and she ain't no maid!' I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be."
While 'Star Trek' influenced people around the world, the show's unique brand of science fiction has also greatly influenced some real science being conducted today.
"I was at a conference earlier this year in San Francisco," Burton said. "We are working on geosynchronous architecture in computers that will enable us to maximize the computing power and give us the opportunity to, in real time, do more and complicated computations that would be required for something like a holodeck." On "Star Trek: The Next Generation," the holodeck was a reality simulator that could replicate various environments.
Scientists working with NASA are also looking into warp drive technology, and recently a crowdfunding campaign to create the Scanadu Scout — a medical device like the tricorders used on the show — raised more than $1.5 million on Indiegogo.com.
The TV show is even beloved by scientists working for real-life space agencies. Earlier in September, NASA used a quote and theme music from "Star Trek" to add a little dramatic flare when officials from the agency announced that Voyager 1 became the first object built by humans to reach interstellar space.
Review: These Are The Voyages, TOS, Season Onehttp://startrekfactcheck.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-these-are-voyages-tos-season-one.html (http://startrekfactcheck.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-these-are-voyages-tos-season-one.html)(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fHui8UABysQ/UjeAx-fnyCI/AAAAAAAAAVc/hn2Q_ZFbmFk/s400/these_are_the_voyages_cover.jpg)
These Are The Voyages, TOS, Season One is the first book about the making of Star Trek to extensively use the show's production files currently housed at the University of California, Los Angeles. Written over the course of six years and researched over the course of three decades, it is without a doubt the most detailed account of the making of Star Trek's first season that has ever been published. Including snippets of hundreds of production documents and interviews, These Are The Voyages offers Star Trek fans a wealth of new behind-the-scenes information. Unfortunately, despite the author's years of diligent research, These Are The Voyages is a disappointing book, which is badly edited, clumsily written, and at times ethically dubious.
It is immediately evident that the book has not been proofread. There are hundreds of typos ("sweat kiss," "run the gambit," "Kahn," "Roddemberry," etc.) and a comparable number of small factual errors. For example, Robert H. Justman is repeatedly described as the associate producer of various programs prior to his involvement on Star Trek. This is simply false; in fact, Justman's ascension from assistant director to associate producer on 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' (Byron Haskin had the job on the first pilot) was an important step in his career. Although IMDb says Justman was an (uncredited) associate producer on The Adventures of Superman, a fact which These Are The Voyages repeats, he wasn't. In another passage, Cushman describes Roddenberry's Hollywood career as meteoric, going from a nobody to arriving at "the biggest studio in Hollywood" in just nine years. Although Roddenberry's career profile certainly grew dramatically, when he arrived at MGM in late 1962, the studio was far from its glory days of the 1940s, when it could bill itself as having "more stars than there are in heaven." In fact, the studio was actually in the midst of a decline and hardly "the biggest motion picture studio in Hollywood." In yet another example, Cushman identifies the non-professional fan films Star Trek: New Voyages and Star Trek: Of Gods and Men as a television series and a videogame, respectively, probably the result of relying on (and misreading) Grace Lee Whitney's IMDb page. These examples only scratch the surface when it comes to small factual errors that would have been caught by a proofreader.
A more significant problem than the book's lack of proofreading, however, is that is has been poorly edited. Although three editors are credited, I suspect they had little influence on the structure and content of the book. First of all, the book is simply bloated with excess material. Nearly every chapter begins with one and half pages of filler (a plot summary, quotations of dialogue, and the author's assessment) which amount to over fifty pages of material that any serious editor would have asked the author to cut. The plot summaries and quotations repeat material that will be familiar to everyone reading this book. Cushman's assessments, on the other hand, are too short to offer any substance, and often overly praiseworthy. In one, he writes, "Gone with the Wind... Casablanca... Love Story... Somewhere in Time... and 'The City on the Edge of Forever.'" Hyperboles like these betray Cushman's lack of knowledge about film and television history beyond his favorite subjects, and seem particularly egregious in light of the author's insistence that the book is so long it must be sold in three separate volumes.
The book's lack of editorial input leads to another major problem: all too frequently, Cushman seems to print conjecture as if it were fact. This is most glaring in the chapter on 'The Alternative Factor,' although it is apparent in other places as well. In that chapter, Cushman writes:
With only a few days left before the start of production, Gene Coon began receiving off the record phone calls suggesting that either Janet MacLachlan be replaced with a white actress or that the script be changed to remove the last of the scenes that depicted sexual or romantic interest between Lazarus #1 and Charlene Masters. (p.414)
This is a damning accusation to be levied against both NBC and Desilu. It is not the first time someone has speculated that the casting of a black actress led the role of Charlene Masters to be drastically reduced, but it is the first time that this has been asserted as fact. Unfortunately, Cushman doesn't bother to present any evidence to back up this claim. It is not supported by an author interview, a production document, or a secondary source. (It's also a bit odd that, in all his years of tilting at windmills about the network's alleged racism, Gene Roddenberry never once brought up the event.) Without evidence, it must be speculation, even if it is not so framed. This isn't the only time Cushman prints his own speculation as if it were fact in the chapter, either. Earlier, he quotes from a Roddenberry memo:
In both 'Space Seed' and this story, we have a crew woman madly in love with a brawny guest star and flipping our whole gang into a real mess because she is in love...do they have to do [this] in two of our scripts? (p.413)
"Roddenberry wasn't suggesting 'The Alternative Factor,' first to film, be altered," writes Cushman. "His criticism had more to do with 'Space Seed' using the same plot device." Again, this is fine speculation, even plausible, but there is nothing in Roddenberry's memo which actually points to the executive producer's preference in rewriting one episode versus another.
The most troubling aspect of These Are The Voyages, however, has nothing to do with its editing, or even the text at all. Rather, it has to do with the photographs used to illustrate the book, many of which were furnished to the author by a Star Trek fan I will only identify as 'The Collector.' Although the book is filled with a variety of images attributed to many sources (in one particularly lazy case, a still from The Andy Griffith Show is simply attributed to the TrekBBS) most give credit to The Collector, who is also prominently featured on the Jacobs Brown Press webpage and credited (along with Marc Cushman and co-author Susan Osborn) for the book's "interior design." Unfortunately, many of the images in the book attributed to The Collector actually originated from Star Trek History and birdofthegalaxy (both sources, of course, have contributed information and images to this blog). To my knowledge, neither the author or the publisher ever asked either of these sources for permission to use their images (which they painstakingly restored) in a for-profit work. When presented with this information (on both Facebook and Amazon) the publisher could only make excuses, none of which stand up to much scrutiny. Adding insult to injury, the images in the book are small, low resolution, black and white, and rarely factor in the text. Their main function, it seems, is to make reading the book easier on the eyes.
To be fair, These Are The Voyages offers a great deal of material that will be exciting for fans of the original series, especially those who will never have the opportunity to explore the archival collections at UCLA (although those collections are open to the public as long as you make an appointment). Nonetheless, in the final analysis, These Are The Voyages is too problematic to earn my endorsement. Not only is it profiting off the labor of other fans without their permission, but it is amateurish and error-ridden. A much needed second edition has already been rumored. Hopefully, it will address the first edition's many problems. My advice would be to wait for it.
Author's Note: Cushman's ratings thesis has made some waves online. Essentially, he argues that the series was a hit, but NBC concealed this fact so that they could blame Star Trek's cancellation on low ratings. I don't think his argument is entirely sound, but it is certainly worth discussing on this blog in much greater detail at some point in the future. Additionally, for those who plan on using this book to support their own research, bear in mind that although the book is generally organized chronologically, it has no index. Lastly, in the interest of full disclosure, I emailed the publisher about interviewing Cushman and requested a review copy of the book using their website. The publisher never replied to my request for an interview, and I never received a review copy of the book. The publisher did, however, revise some advertising copy when I informed them in an email that the UCLA files were publicly accessible and that Marc Cushman's access could hardly be called "exclusive."
Interview with Marc Cushman, Author of “These Are The Voyages”http://trekcore.com/blog/2013/10/interview-with-marc-cushman-author-of-these-are-the-voyages/ (http://trekcore.com/blog/2013/10/interview-with-marc-cushman-author-of-these-are-the-voyages/)
In August, the first book of Marc Cushman's These Are The Voyages series was released, taking a look behind the scenes at the first season of the original Star Trek series. TrekCore's Dan Gunther, who reviewed the book for us, caught up with the author this month to discuss the creation of this first book, and to see where the series will continue in future volumes.(http://trekcore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/div_spacer.png)
TrekCore: Your reference book, These Are The Voyages: TOS Season One was an incredible read. How did you come to write this particular account of the show's inception?
(http://trekcore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/cushman.jpg)
Marc Cushman: I was happily assigned the job of meeting with Gene Roddenberry and interviewing him for a television special I was hired to write on the Star Trek phenomenon. This was in 1982 for a Los Angeles-based company that made programs of that type for local TV. Gene was wonderfully gracious and giving, with both his time and materials -- he provided me with all the scripts from TOS, along with numerous other documents.
I was amazed by the amount of documents he had kept from Star Trek -- memos between him and his staff (and NBC), letters, production schedules, notes from the productions, budgets, contracts, and even fan letters from 1966 through 1969. I had read "The Making of Star Trek," which utilized some of these documents, but had no idea there was such a wealth of materials. I must have looked like a kid in a candy store to him, because Gene invited me -- even dared me -- to try to find a way to include substantial elements from all this material into a book.
I accepted the dare but told him it would be years before I could start on such a project. He gave me a letter of endorsement and told me he would find the time to cooperate in all ways possible when I could make time to take it on.
I stayed busy in television and film for a few decades and couldn't even start the work required to undertake such a massive job, but I did interview people as I came across them, starting with D.C. Fontana (on three different occasions) and Bob Justman (half a dozen different times), as well as others involved with the production -- writers, directors, crew personnel, and actors from the series as well as guest performers who appeared on the various episodes.
I met with Gene many times and, on one of those occasions, pitched the story for TNG episode "Sarek" to him. I was preparing to write the book when he became ill. That postponed it. Bob Justman picked up the torch in 2007 and provided me with many documents not found in the UCLA Roddenberry/Justman collections, where I also spent several months doing research.
It took six years to write this book -- which turned into seventeen-hundred pages, which the publisher then decided to release in three volumes, each covering one season of the show. I don't think a book spine has been made that can handle that many pages... and who'd want to pick that thing up!?
(http://trekcore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/thesevoyages_cover.jpg)
TrekCore: From reading These Are The Voyages, it’s clear that a lot of care went into the research for this book. How important was it to you that this be the definitive account of the production of Star Trek?
Marc Cushman: It was absolutely crucial to me that it be the definitive book on Star Trek. There would be no reason to write it, otherwise, since there are many other books out on the series. I almost didn't write it because of the Solow/Justman book ("Inside Star Trek: The Real Story"). But then I decided that book left me unfulfilled, since it was written from only the management's point of view. And it didn't deal with the individual episodes. I see each episode of the classic series as a major event in the story of Star Trek, but no one has focused on them -- at least, not to the degree that I would like.
I had too many questions unanswered, such as what the hell happened to "The Alternative Factor"? What went wrong? And what were they thinking when they made "The Way to Eden"? Or why was Melvin Belli cast in "And the Children Shall Lead"? And who really wrote "The City on the Edge of Forever"? Were the ratings really as bad as NBC claimed? That alone seemed impossible to me because I was there, as a teenager, and did not know anyone -- not at school, not on the block where my family lived -- that wasn't watching Star Trek. There is a great deal of speculation out there, but I wanted to find out the truth.
This is the book Gene Roddenberry and Bob Justman wanted to see. They saved all those documents so that they could become public record. And I had promised them that, if I did a book on Star Trek, it would utilize those records as never before. And that's why I pushed ahead, and put other aspects of my life on hold for several years, and why it took 1,700 pages and six years.
TrekCore: What was the most surprising or unexpected fact you learned about the making of Star Trek’s first season while researching this book?
Marc Cushman: If you want only one example, I'd have to say how much of the information out there on the internet, and in past books, is wrong. Pure folklore that has been accepted over the decades as being fact. And it is not fact. At the top of that list is the ratings. I licensed all the ratings from A.C. Nielsen, for every episode of the series. Star Trek was not the failure that we had been led to believe.
It was NBC's top rated Thursday night series and, on many occasions, won its time slot against formidable competition, including Bewitched, ABC's most popular show. And when they banished it to Friday nights, as Book Two will reveal, it was the network's top rated Friday night show. Yet NBC wanted to cancel it! Even when they tried to hide it from the fans at 10 p.m., during Season Three, it's numbers were not as bad as reported. So, once I made this discovery, then, of course, I needed to find out the real reason for the way the network treated Star Trek, and the documents regarding that, which build as we go from Book One to Two and then Three, are quite fascinating.
(http://trekcore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/changein.jpg)
If I may tell you a second thing that was surprising to me, in a story filled to the brim with surprises, it would be about who wrote what on the series. The name of the writer given in the screen credits is deceiving. Readers will be surprised to discover, through the documents I provide in the books, that Gene Roddenberry wrote most of what we see and hear in the first thirteen episodes.
He should have been given screen credit as top writer. And then Gene Coon, and on many occasions, Dorothy Fontana, during the last part of Season One and throughout Season Two, wrote very nearly more, if not more, of the dialogue in every episode, with the exception of "The Trouble with Tribbles," where David Gerrold really nailed it and did 90% of the writing.
The other writers just couldn't get the voices of the primary characters down, or the feel of the show. It took Roddenberry, Coon, John D.F. Black and Dorothy Fontana to clean all those scripts up and make them into Star Trek.
TrekCore: How open or accommodating were your sources while researching this book, beyond the memos and references in the archives? Were people quite willing to discuss their experiences, or did you encounter any reticence or reservations from various people involved in the making of Star Trek?
Marc Cushman: They were willing but time has a way of distorting the memory. This is why I always prefer to search out old interviews, especially ones from the time that the show was being made. I collected hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles with interviews in them, to be sure that all the voices of the people involved were included (since many are now gone), and that those voices would be as fresh as possible, meaning, the words were spoken as close to the time of production as possible. Beyond this, when I interviewed participants, I asked them questions that other interviewers had not.
They told me this; they were often surprised by my approach. I explained to them that these books were meant to serve as a time machine, and each of these people I was interviewing were one of our guest tour guides. I'd try to take them back to 1966, or '67, or the later years for Book Two and Three, and get them to remember what it felt like, what was playing on the radio, what the offices looked like, or the stage, or the clothing.
I would really get heightened recollections by doing this, like when Malachi Throne said to me, and I paraphrase here, "Yes, I did feel a bit uncomfortable at first, because there were no pockets in the Starfleet uniforms. I didn't know what to do with my hands. We couldn't smoke, or play with props as we would in a contemporary story. So it was a very alien environment, and I had to learn from Shatner and Nimoy and the others how to be comfortable in those rooms and in those clothes. They were all so good at it."
TrekCore: Were there any challenges in writing this book that were particularly difficult to overcome?
Marc Cushman: Many. And again, that comes down to failing memories, or memories that have been compromised by things that a person is told about himself and his work over four or more decades. I would be told one thing by a person I interviewed, and feel grateful to this person and want to write something they will be happy to read, but then I'd be told something else by another person involved on that particular script, or that day of filming, and the show files would bring out yet another perspective.
I wasn't going to censor anyone, but, what I did, was create a conversation between the different participants on the page, bringing all the different points of view together. It's like the reader gets to sit in the middle of a conversation that has a great deal of conflict in it. And conflict makes for the best story telling. There is always conflict. It doesn't have to be invented; it's all around us, and especially present in ventures such as Star Trek, with all the time pressures, and creative differences involved.
Gene Roddenberry was very supportive and helpful to me on this project, and yet, even though I feel I honor him greatly, and reveal his genius through many of his memos, I also reveal his darker side through many of his own words, in both the interviews he granted me and his memos and letters. And statements made by others. But I truly believe he would approve of my handling of it all. I know others do because they have called to tell me so.
TrekCore: Conversely, what aspects of researching and writing this series were the most fun?
Marc Cushman: My god, all of it. I love researching. I love searching for missing treasure. And with each new nugget I would find, I felt like yelling out, "Gold! I stuck gold!" Especially when I'd see how all these pieces would fit together and solve so many mysteries about all the various episodes -- why this one is so good and this one isn't. But you want a specific answer. Okay. The ratings. Talk about striking gold -- dispelling forty-five years of folklore that was begun with intentionally misleading information.
Discovering the true production order of the episodes, which on more than a couple occasions is different than what we think we know by the deceptive production numbering and the DVD sequencing of episodes. Finding out that an episode that says written by Jerry Sohl, should have said story by Jerry Sohl, written by Gene Roddenberry and, perhaps, Jerry Sohl. And so many other occurrences such as that. And feeling like I have now witnessed the writing and the making of Star Trek and I am able to share that experience with other fans. I really do write for me -- write what I would want to read. I would have given almost anything to read these books, and I suppose I did.
TrekCore: It is interesting that this book was not published through Simon & Schuster, who have the rights to Star Trek publications. Was there an attempt to publish this through them, and if so, is there a reason they opted not to publish it?
Marc Cushman: There was an attempt. Simon & Schuster asked to see three chapters and my agent sent in the first three. Now, I've received a lot of letters in the last couple weeks from people who love the first three chapters, saying they have found out more about Gene Roddenberry's life and career before Star Trek, and about Lucille Ball being the sponsor of Star Trek, and the mind set of NBC, all things that are examined in those early chapters.
(http://trekcore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/desilu_small.jpg)
But Pocket Books was not dazzled and said, basically, that with two books out on Roddenberry, and a couple out on Lucy, and that no one cares about what NBC was thinking, that they didn't see enough there to justify them publishing. If they had read any of the chapters that deal with the episodes -- and there is a separate chapter for each episode -- I think they would have thought differently.
And they would have seen how the information in those first few chapters pays off as you continue reading. But once a publisher says "no," it's always going to be "no." Bottom line, my agent sent in the wrong chapters as a sample of what these books are really about.
CBS has not picked up on this yet -- has not endorsed it -- because they wrote and told us they didn't have time to read a six-hundred-page book, to be followed by two more books of about five hundred pages each. So we had to go out without their stamp of approval, which certainly limits us in how we can promote this book, in the cover images we could legally use, even in the title.
But Jacobs Brown Press was very supportive of me, and I was determined this work would come out for the fans, and for those I knew from the show, and all those I'd interviewed. Malachi Throne and William Windom were two, both wonderful to me, and they didn't live to see these books come out. Bob Justman didn't live to see them out, even though he was there while I was writing them. I wasn't going to let that happen again.
TrekCore: Have you heard from any of the original TOS actors?
Marc Cushman: Yes. Walter Koe[person of African ethnicity]even carried the book out on stage at the Vegas convention and talked about it for a couple minutes, urging fans to buy it. Harlan Ellison called to say he liked it. I'd been nervous about that. I allow everyone to have their say about him and his script for "The City on the Edge of Forever." And some of those words are harsh. But I allow Harlan to have his say, as well, and I bring forward the documentation which proves who wrote what and when various drafts were delivered, and so on. Harlan's recollections are sometimes proved right, sometimes wrong, and yet he called to say that he wouldn't call the book awesome, because he reserves that word for the Grand Canyon and Eleanor Roosevelt, but that it comes close. That was a wonderful moment.
Someone came over and bought a book at the publisher's booth during the Las Vegas Star Trek convention and said William Shatner had showed him the book so he decided to get one for himself. I haven't heard from Shatner... but, I suppose in a way, with that, I have. Leonard Nimoy, sounding very much like Mr. Spock, called and told me the research was "astounding." Walter Koe[person of African ethnicity]agreed to write the foreword for Book Two after reading Book One. He paid me a wonderful compliment in saying that, after reading the book, he trusts me.
John D.F. Black and his wife Mary, who was there, working as his executive assistant on TOS, tell me that this book takes them back to that time and place and they impressed that there is clearly no agenda on my part other than to report the story. So, I'm very happy now. I've been living in a cave for six years researching and writing and not even coming out of the past long enough to watch the news. I had to keep my head and my heart in the 1960s and at Desilu studios. So it is very rewarding to find that people are responding so well to this.
TrekCore: Are there any sneak peeks or surprising tidbits that you would be willing to reveal about seasons two and three?
Marc Cushman: I'll tell you that, for me, as a writer, and as a person who loves to read biographies, Book Two is better than Book One and Book Three is the best of all. The story of Star Trek -- the struggle those talented people went through to make that series -- gets richer with each season, and more dramatic. The hurdles get higher; the challenges unbearably difficult. Among other things, in Book Two, you will learn why Gene Coon really left Star Trek, and you will be surprised to find out how much he contributed to the episodes where he is not credited as producer.
As for Book Three... You won't find a fan anywhere that will tell you that the third season was as good as the first two, even though there were many excellent episodes during that last year. But it is certainly the most interesting to find out about and, I think, read about. In Book Three, you will be surprised to find out how much Gene Roddenberry had to do with Season Three, contrary to everything we have heard before. And how much he antagonized the network. He had good reason, of course, but fighting with the network is not a good way to keep your series on the air. The truth is in the memos.
TrekCore: Moving forward from TOS, do you have any plans to do another reference such as this for another aspect of Trek history? If you have no such plans, would you ever be interested in doing so?
Marc Cushman: It has been suggested that I take on Next Generation. But I do have a couple other biographies that I have already started that have nothing to do with Star Trek and I would like to see them through. But Next Generation is certainly tempting. I know so many from that show and spent a small amount of time there myself, with the story I contributed, the script I wrote based on that story, which was too much like TOS for Gene's taste at that time, and numerous other pitch sessions and springboards to episodes that I provided.
I think the treatment I gave to TOS would work very well for TNG, because Gene Roddenberry lived in memos, god bless him, and those memos mean there is a great deal of documentation that reveals the thinking going on, episode by episode.
TrekCore: Thank you again for this opportunity! It was a real pleasure to be able to ask about the creation of These Are The Voyages. You have provided a pretty valuable resource to scores of Trekkies and Trekkers, and I for one am very grateful.
Marc Cushman: Thank you for your interest, Dan. It's been my pleasure.
Uploaded on Apr 15, 2011
The U.S.S. Enterprise crew takes on a Federation historian to investigates an ancient space station which has suddenly appeared in orbit of a planet that the crew has visited before. After they enter the space station, they soon realize that there is much more to the ancient complex than they expected.
This film entitled "Ptolemy Wept" was written, directed, animated and produced by Curt Danhauser and is the second new animated STAR TREK episode featuring Captain Kirk and his crew to be produced in more than three decades. The last new official animated STAR TREK episode was produced by Filmation and aired on NBC-TV Saturday morning, October 12, 1974. Now, after more than 35 years, new episodes are being produced. These new episodes are intended to be a direct continuation of the 22-episode animated STAR TREK series produced by Filmation Associates from 1973-1974.
Subsequent parts of this full-length animated episode will be released on youTube in the months to come.
Captain Kirk to command new Navy destroyerhttp://news.yahoo.com/captain-kirk-navy-destroyer-135551630.html (http://news.yahoo.com/captain-kirk-navy-destroyer-135551630.html)
By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo News 2 hours ago
(http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/4umbrQRicGtrMgUYOu54OQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTY0MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-10-30/1729f44b-ba86-4369-aa95-95646d46cde7_131028-O-ZZ999-103.JPG)
U.S.S. Zumwalt
The commander of the U.S. Navy's sleek new guided-missile destroyer, which launched late last week in Maine, has a name to match its space-age look: Captain Kirk.
Captain James Kirk, the prospective commanding officer of USS Zumwalt, will lead the 610-foot vessel, the Navy's largest destroyer and first of three new Zumwalt-class ships "designed for littoral operations and land attack," the Navy said.
Kirk, a native of Bethesda, Md., was commissioned at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1990 and has served in a variety posts as a "surface warfare officer," according to his online bio. "Ashore, Captain Kirk has served as Executive Assistant to the Navy’s Chief of Legislative Affairs and as an Action Officer on the Joint Staff."
(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bg6uUVF5bU5AfHEHLESpRg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTcxOTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-10-30/649fe30a-2b4e-4ee4-9699-fbf33bd715a7_captain-kirk.jpg)
Kirk obtained a master's degrees in national security studies at the U.S. Naval War College and U.S. Army War College, where he undoubtedly heard more than his share of "Star Trek" jokes.
The ship, which was moved from dry dock in Bath, Maine, to a pier on the Kennebec River on Friday, is loaded with new technologies, including "radar reflecting angles, a striking inward-sloping tumblehome hull" and advanced gun system.
The lead ship and class are named in honor of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo R. "Bud" Zumwalt Jr., who served as chief of naval operations from 1970 to 1974.
According to the Navy, construction on the first Zumwalt is "more than 87 percent complete," with remaining work on the hull scheduled to be completed before delivery in late 2014.
So who will serve as Capt. Kirk's "Spock" on the Zumwalt? According to the Navy, it's Cmdr. Jeffrey W. Hickox, who was named prospective executive officer of the ship.
Walter Koe[person of African ethnicity]even carried the book out on stage at the Vegas convention and talked about it for a couple minutes, urging fans to buy it.
No. What are you talking about?
They were using the Enterprise continuity, where a virus -an attempt to augment, like Khan- altered many of them.
I wondered why any hairy turtles were in it...
Been giving it a lot of thought lately... in terms of post-1969 TOS iterations (novels, illustrated comics, The Animated Series, the film series, the Abrams reboots, etc.), I'm starting to think that the JB photonovels are exactly, finally what the doctor ordered, to help fill our insatiable need for "new" stories of Kirk, Spock & Co.I think that articulates the appeal nicely, provided that they turn out to be good...
We get to SEE these characters again, without having to put up with limited animation, miscast new actors or even (as has often been suggested) CGI recreations.
This looks & feels like new, "old" STAR TREK. And what's great is that we can use our own (*gasp!*) imaginations to fill in just the right line deliveries and music cues.
Really, truly warming up to the idea of more adventures in this photonovel format.
John Byrne Expands Star Trek Visionshttp://idwpublishing.com/news/article/2750/ (http://idwpublishing.com/news/article/2750/)
Ongoing Mission Becomes Ongoing Series
Friday, Feb 28th, 2014
San Diego, CA (February 28, 2014) - Last year, comic-book legend, John Byrne set out "to explore strange new worlds" within the Star Trek universe, using a unique technique, the photonovel. The resulting Star Trek Annual 2013, which is completely sold out through Diamond and headed for a second printing, was a creative success due to this distinctive storytelling device. This May, Byrne will continue his quest "to seek out new life and new civilizations" using the photonovel format to produce an ongoing bi-monthly series, Star Trek: New Visions.
(http://media.ideaanddesignworks.com/idw/news/2014/02_feb/mcith/mcith_0228-startrek.jpg)
"What John does on these photonovel stories is nothing short of amazing," said Chris Ryall, IDW's Chief Creative Office/Editor-in-Chief. "He's moved far beyond photo-manipulation and montage to constructing his own set pieces, uniforms, and characters. Much more than just comic stories, these tales are the closest thing to Original Series-era 'lost episodes' that the world will ever see."
Each issue of this all-new series will be an extra-length affair. New Visions begins by going through the looking glass to tell the story of what happened after the classic "Mirror, Mirror" episode of the original series. In issue #1, "The Mirror, Cracked," the crew of the Starship: Enterprisediscovers two strangers in their midst, and things take a turn when they learn that one of them has made a pact with one of James Kirk's oldest foes.
Star Trek: New Visions #1, a 48-page, full-color, $7.99 comic book, debuts in May 2014. Diamond Order CodeMAR140370 E STAR TREK NEW VISIONS #1 MIRROR CRACKED
A new printing of the sold-out Star Trek Annual 2013 will also ship in May. Diamond Order CodeMAR140371 E STAR TREK ANNUAL 2013
That would be the version of Mind-Sifter as published in the New Voyages paperback? The final one, not the draft that wasn't professionally published?As it turns out, the original version http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=238012 (http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=238012) I had no idea about any of that having happened... Which version is Valjiir continuity?
That would be the version of Mind-Sifter as published in the New Voyages paperback? The final one, not the draft that wasn't professionally published?As it turns out, the original version http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=238012 (http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=238012) I had no idea about any of that having happened... Which version is Valjiir continuity?
http://www.robotjackalope.com/?p=205 (http://www.robotjackalope.com/?p=205)
...I wish I had the foggiest about why video embedding works some day and not others. It would have been funnier that way, and someone might have actually watched it...
I always felt their should have been a DS9 movie, particularly to resolve some of their final episode cliffhangers.Interesting. There's a current ongoing thread at TrekBBS on this very topic, and a couple of the arguments are centered on how well-known DS9 was/is in popular culture, along with "Is Nana Visitor too old to play Kira Nerys in a movie"?
I always felt their should have been a DS9
I couldn't disagree with both of you more about Seven of Nine. She's my favorite Voyager character.
I disagree: that's only a sign of how much a character gives nerdz the horn.I don't understand what that means.
I always felt their should have been a DS9
I couldn't disagree with both of you more about Seven of Nine. She's my favorite Voyager character.
Well their has always been a character 'searching for their humanity' in every series, from Spock, Data, Odo, Seven and T'Pol (though you might argue T'Pol is searching for an understanding of humanity rather then her own). So I don't object to that premise, again it just comes down to bad writing, everyone on Voyager is badly written Seven included, is she the worst, no not by a long shot. I think Harry Kim takes the cake on that one. (Yes even worse then Kes, you actually REMEMBER Kes, you literally forget Kim even exists)
Buster: I agree Bakula acting skill was good and he used that to compensate for bad writing, the rest of the cast was far weaker and could not compensate. I think the writers even knew this on some level and the Archer character ended up shouldering a disproportionate share of the whole series compared to TNG which did a good job of spreading out the material among the whole cast and developing all the characters fully. The wooden-crew syndrome was self-reinforcing, weak actors get lower quality writing and less screen time, leading to weaker character development and poorer writing in a downward spiral. The Captain character alone can not sustain a Series for more then 1-2 years, a series lifespan is directly proportional to how many compelling characters it can develop, in TNG & DS9 it was the whole cast, in Voyager (in my opinion) no one and in Enterprise just 2.
COUGHmakesthemhornyCOUGH :-[Um... I harbor exactly ZERO sexual feelings for either Jeri Ryan or Robert Duncan MacNeil.I always felt their should have been a DS9
I couldn't disagree with both of you more about Seven of Nine. She's my favorite Voyager character.
Well their has always been a character 'searching for their humanity' in every series, from Spock, Data, Odo, Seven and T'Pol (though you might argue T'Pol is searching for an understanding of humanity rather then her own). So I don't object to that premise, again it just comes down to bad writing, everyone on Voyager is badly written Seven included, is she the worst, no not by a long shot. I think Harry Kim takes the cake on that one. (Yes even worse then Kes, you actually REMEMBER Kes, you literally forget Kim even exists)
Buster: I agree Bakula acting skill was good and he used that to compensate for bad writing, the rest of the cast was far weaker and could not compensate. I think the writers even knew this on some level and the Archer character ended up shouldering a disproportionate share of the whole series compared to TNG which did a good job of spreading out the material among the whole cast and developing all the characters fully. The wooden-crew syndrome was self-reinforcing, weak actors get lower quality writing and less screen time, leading to weaker character development and poorer writing in a downward spiral. The Captain character alone can not sustain a Series for more then 1-2 years, a series lifespan is directly proportional to how many compelling characters it can develop, in TNG & DS9 it was the whole cast, in Voyager (in my opinion) no one and in Enterprise just 2.
They had trouble casting the leads half the time; Brooks and Mulgrew were in over their heads/miscast. You can't overcome terrible writing, and you can't work around the star of the show sucking.
And Kes was accompanied by Nelix.I was referring to my sig on another forum.
Um... I harbor exactly ZERO sexual feelings for either Jeri Ryan or Robert Duncan MacNeil.
Kate Mulgrew was better than the actress they originally had to play Janeway.
I hardly read any DS9 fanfic.
I Think BU meant that the quantity of fan-fiction about a certain character is proportional to their fan-base wide sex-appeal, not that your reading choices were determined by your such feelings. It's just statistically more likely that 7of9 will be the subject of any randomly selected fan-fiction.With correction, correct.
Who was originally cast to play Janeway?Geneviève Bujold (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CCUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Fname%2Fnm0000991%2F&ei=lmQvU7_VHKjx2wXdo4G4Cg&usg=AFQjCNEiIsYDYUGKiOhFpDGDyg_e6_IEkg&bvm=bv.62922401,d.b2I) - most notable as Anne Boleyn in Anne of the Thousand Days (a film with the subjective runtime right there in the title. -Gorgeous to look at, though, on many levels, despite Richard Burton).
Warnog, official Klingon beer launched by Star Trek, with 'notes of clove, banana and caramel'http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/25/star-trek-warnog-official-klingon-beer (http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/25/star-trek-warnog-official-klingon-beer)
The craggily foreheaded warrior race from Star Trek now have an alcoholic drink to call their own, following the launch of Vulcan Ale last year
Ben Beaumont-Thomas
theguardian.com, Tuesday 25 March 2014 07.51 EDT
(http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2014/3/25/1395747807614/Klingon-beer-002.jpg)
This means Warnog … the official Klingon beer.
Star Trek's warrior race the Klingons may be more famed for drinking the alarmingly red bloodwine in outer space, but on Earth at least, they have a new official booze of choice: Warnog, a beer with notes of clove, banana and caramel.
The Federation of Beer, a Canadian company who have an official partnership with the Star Trek franchise, has commissioned the 'Roggen Dunkel' style ale, to be brewed at the Tin Man Brewing Company in Indiana. It's their second themed beer, following their Vulcan Ale last year, an Irish Red chosen to match the red planet of Vulcan where Spock hails from.
Warnog "incorporates rye malt into a modern Dunkelweizen grain bill, creating a flavor profile that is both familiar and unique," the Federation explains in a statement. "Warnog's aroma is predominantly mild banana and clove produced by the German wheat yeast, supported by subtle sweet malt character from the use of Munich malt. The flavor draws heavily from the blending of the rye malt and traditional clove character, creating a very rich and unique flavor. The inclusion of wheat and caramel malts help to round out the mouthfeel of this beer, making this Dunkelweizen hearty enough to be called a Klingon Warnog." Warnog was drunk by Klingons in both The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine TV series.
It's perhaps appropriate that a race in thrall to opera and the works of Shakespeare should have such a nuanced flavour profile to their beer, though some aren't convinced that these warriors would care for a sweet taste. "A real Klingon would probably be more into blood and steel flavors, something that tastes like more like victory and less like wheat," argues Amanda Kooser at CNET.
There are still plenty of potential beverages for the Federation to get through – as well as a Romulan ale that is being planned for brewing next year, 'The Definative [sic] Guide To Star Trek Drinks' has found many more besides. Chech'tluth is a potent and smoking Klingon beverage served in 2365 to the leader of the Bringloidi, while Raktajino is Klingon coffee that becomes a hit amongst various races – the shows' writers would print in-jokes onto the Raktajino packets, such as '100% Colombian' or 'Made from the Green Hills of Earth', a reference to sci-fi author Robert Heinlein. There are also multiple recipes for bloodwine, (including one that begins "heat 18 quarts of blood in a large cauldron") perfect for serving in bloodwine cups that are for sale on Etsy.
No, Fiji -and things thereof- sux.
On the Very First Star Trek #1http://sequart.org/magazine/20548/on-the-very-first-star-trek-1/ (http://sequart.org/magazine/20548/on-the-very-first-star-trek-1/)
by Julian Darius | in Articles | Mon, 13 May 2013
(http://sequart.org/images/Star-Trek-Gold-Key-1-200x300.jpg)
Star Trek (Gold Key) #1 (July 1967)
Star Trek has a long history in comics. In fact, the very first Star Trek comic book began in 1967, at the end of the original series’s very first season.
This first series was published by Gold Key, an imprint of Western Publishing founded only five years before, in 1962. Gold Key experimented with the comics format, initially using rectangular word balloons and thought bubbles, to give their comics a sleeker feeling for a new era. Although Gold Key abandoned this, it produced big black-and-white hardcover reprints and slimmer original hardcovers, aiming at the book and department store market in a manner that prefigured the rise of the graphic novel.
Perhaps aiming at this wider audience, the publisher was known for its remarkably array of licensed properties. It’s hard to imagine a better staple of child-oriented fare than characters licensed from Disney (Uncle Scrooge), Warner Bros. (Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck), Hannah-Barbera (The Flintstones), and Universal (Woody Woodpecker). But Gold Key also published characters licensed from King Features Syndicate (like Flash Gordon and The Phantom) and plenty of titles drawn from TV, including The Three Stooges, My Favorite Martian, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, and even The Twilight Zone.
Yes, and also Star Trek.
Gold Key not only began Star Trek in 1967, when the TV show hadn’t even been on the air for a year. But Gold Key kept publishing Star Trek comics after the TV show was canceled in 1969. The comics series continued through the 1973-1974 Star Trek animated series, outlasting it too. Gold Key’s series finally came to an end in 1979 (#61, Mar 1979) — almost a decade after the original series had aired its final episode. The comic wasn’t cancelled due to low sales, but rather because Gold Key lost the Star Trek license to Marvel, on the eve of the first Star Trek movie (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which debuted on 7 Dec 1979).
In comparison, the first original Trek novel (Mack Reynolds’s Mission to Horatius, which featured illustrations by Sparky Moore) was published in 1968. It was the only such novel published while the original series was airing. The next (James Blish’s Spock Must Die!) didn’t appear until 1970. The next appeared in 1976, after the animated series was also off the air. Trek novels have been appearing regularly ever since, often enough to great attention and occasional acclaim.
But Trek comics? They were a part of Star Trek almost from the start.
Most Gold Key covers were painted, helping to make its comics visually distinctive next to the line art of other publishers’ covers. Instead, the first nine issues of Star Trek featured stylish photo-collage covers that were no less distinctive. Particularly successful was the multiple, differently colored Enterprises on the cover of issue #4 (June 1969), with text describing the story inside running across the cover along the same rising line as the ships. So too was the cover for issue #7 (Mar 1970), with a purple Spock gazing upward, while Kirk and Bones stare out from colored trapezoidal panels, joined between them by an orange line like some sort of mod, 1960s light fixture. Beginning with issue #10 (May 1971), Gold Key’s typical painted covers began, although with tiny photos of Kirk and Spock as a visual reminder of the original series (at least until #45, July 1977, when those too disappeared).
(http://sequart.org/images/Star-Trek-Gold-Key-7-Mar-1970-199x300.jpg)
Star Trek (Gold Key) #4 (June 1969) Star Trek (Gold Key) #7 (Mar 1970)
In fact, almost everything about the series’s presentation was stylish. The comic didn’t use the original series’s on-screen logo — which wasn’t nearly so iconic then. Instead, the comic had its own version of the Star Trek logo — a jazzy, wild thing that seemed to pivot along a central line, defined by a tiny, silhouetted Enterprise’s route.
Rounding out the comic, in the early issues, was photographic material from the show. In the first issue, for example, the inside front cover presents an image of the Enterprise herself and brief text adapting (sacrilege!) the voice-over heard during the opening titles. It’s a particularly stylish way of recapping the series’s premise (fulfilling the same function Marvel later did with awkward boxes at the top of its comics’ first pages). The inside back cover presented a couple photos along with text about Kirk’s greatness and the crew’s loyalty to him, in the style of a movie photo book. (The text incorrectly states that the ship’s crew numbers into the “thousands.”) The back cover is a rather suggestive image of Kirk, framed on the top and bottom by stylish, angled color swaths.
(http://sequart.org/images/Star-Trek-Gold-Key-1-inside-back-cover-e1364437386486-197x300.jpg)
Star Trek (Gold Key) #1 inside front cover Star Trek (Gold Key) #1 inside back cover Star Trek (Gold Key) #1 back cover
The Gold Key Star Trek stories had a unique format. Running 22-26 pages (a number that diminished over time), each story was broken into two parts (roughly of equal length). This break doesn’t add much, although occasionally it can feel like a representation of a commercial break, as if one is reading two acts out of a half-hour show (which is usually broken into three or even four acts, each separated by a commercial).
Each story also began with a splash page, teasing what would happen later in the tale, before jumping backwards to show how this situation developed. Silver Age DC comics often used this same device, frequently using the opening splash page as a kind of second cover, teasing the drama that was to come. Technically, Gold Key Star Trek comics would abandon the splash page, since it broke that first page up into multiple panels — but these first pages, despite having multiple panels, continued to jump forward in time and tease the story to come until Gold Key’s final issue.
While this device is rooted in comic books, it has a special resonance with Star Trek, which sometimes featured teasers — the brief segment before the title sequence — that were quite shocking and seemed to radically upset the status quo. One example is “The Enterprise Incident” (which aired as episode two of season three), which opens with Kirk, appearing somewhat emotionally disturbed, ordering the ship into the Neutral Zone against Federation law, where the ship’s quickly surrounded by Romulan ships. True, such episodes don’t then flashback to reveal how they got into these extraordinary situations — instead, these details are provided through revelations as the story unfolds, without flashback. Nonetheless, the opening flash-forward page of Gold Key’s Trek comics can, at best, produce some of the same sense of dislocation for the audience that some classic Trek episodes did.
Early Trek stories, outside of the original series, are often fascinating for how different they are from the show — which wasn’t yet considered a beloved touchstone of American culture and certainly wasn’t available on demand for all to see at their convenience. Even the animated series — which was endorsed by Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, starred almost the entire original cast as voice actors, and even featured some of the original series writers (such as D. C. Fontana) — took liberties, adding force field belts to avoid animating space suits, casually inserted a holodeck onto Kirk’s Enterprise, and featured an episode (“The Slaver Weapon,” by Larry Niven) that massively rewrote the galaxy’s entire history in ways that would (thankfully) never be mentioned again.
But then again, the original series didn’t see itself as sacred either. Roddenberry refused to pin down when the series was set, preferring to keep it ambiguous, and several inconsistent references resulted. There’s a lot of silliness too — and not just the god-like beings that pop up every few episodes, nor people after Spock’s brain. Indeed, one of the things that separates the original series from its later spin-offs — besides that almost every episode, with a musical signal, goes into hand-to-hand combat mode at some point — is the original series’s humor. Part of the show’s charm was that, for all its intelligence and philosophizing, it never took itself too seriously.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that the first Trek comic series differed from the original series we remember (or think we do).
For one thing, the series’s first artist was the Italian artist Alberto Giolitti, who had never viewed the show and used publicity photos as reference. He didn’t have a photo for Scotty (played by James Doohan), so he essentially recast the role!
When artists had to invent a design for a car or a ship from scratch, knowing Star Trek was set in the future, they frequently designed sleek and futuristic vehicles — that often seemed powered by rockets. Such designs seemed to belong more to Gold Key’s Flash Gordon. Vehicle design on Star Trek, while often brilliant, also tended toward the boxy — because physical models of ships had to be glued together, often on the cheap, and filmed. Seeing a sleek hover-car that could be made of glass blows the whole aesthetic.
(http://sequart.org/images/Star-Trek-61-page-e1364479874265.jpg)
from Star Trek (Gold Key) #61
Niven was unhappy about that adaption being in print, competing with the original...He shouldn't have been. He probably got a lot of sales out of it, from people who otherwise wouldn't have looked twice at his books, if they even noticed them at all.
http://trekplace.com/article19.html (http://trekplace.com/article19.html)Urban Myth: Legal Issues Behind the "The Slaver Weapon"
by Greg Tyler
November 22, 2006
One popular myth among Star Trek fans is that there was a legal entanglement between Larry Niven and the producers of the animated Star Trek television series over the episode "The Slaver Weapon." This episode, written by Niven, features the Kzinti, a felinoid species reminiscent of the Kzinti from Niven's Known Space series of novels and short stories.
In December 2002, to learn the truth behind the myth, I contacted Larry Niven through his web site and asked him directly. Here was his reply (email addresses removed):
From : email address removed
Sent : Friday, December 20, 2002 2:04 PM
To : email address removed
Subject : Thank You for using my FAQ
Here is my answer to your question:
You asked me: I'm a Star Trek fan, and I wanted to ask about what could possibly be nothing more than an urban myth.
Is there some kind of legal controversy surrounding "The Slaver Weapon," an episode of the animated Star Trek television series?
Thanks!
My response:
"The Slaver Weapon" was adapted, with permission, from Niven's story "The Soft Weapon." Then "The Slaver Weapon was novelized in Star Trek Log Ten into a short Story by Foster. Niven has gotten all the credit he deserves for having written the original story. He may not have been thrilled about the re-adaptation, but AFAIK, there isn't any legal battle looming.
Larry has this to say:
The sequence went like this:
I published "The Soft Weapon", a novelet.
Gene Rodenberry suggested I turn it into a Star Trek animation. Hence "The Slaver Weapon".
The company sold novelization rights to Ballantine Books.
Alan Dean Foster did the novelization.
So I wound up competing with myself, and I find that annoying, but no legal action was ever threatened nor taken.
Larry Niven
Thanks to Larry Niven and the webmaster of Larry Niven's web site for sharing this information.
I'm still really enjoying your sigline every time I visit. I just like to watch.:D ;nod
Everyone loves Spock.Everyone.
Because he had enough presence of mind to keep his shirt on? ;)Sorry to do this to you, but it's my duty as a nerd.
Correct, sir.
Why do we love the real Spock so much?
Have you seen the latest movie? Do I even want to redbox it?If you are referring to "into darkness", it wasn't quite the blah action film like the one before. I would compare the plot to that of a cold war film or something, more than Star Trek. Khan is Afghanistan. Lots of wordy 'virtuous' talk/conceptualization and plot symbolism along with it's action, to try and resemble star Trek morality play or something. If you want that, then get it. Heck, it was better than Quantum of Solace...
hate that thing that happened in New York slimeing my escapist fantasies. I wish they'd stop that.Passionately.
hate that thing that happened in New York slimeing my escapist fantasies. I wish they'd stop that.Passionately.[/quote]
Beg pardon?The affluence of Star Trek, New York in into darkness. I found it distasteful.
Disagree.
Still the same basic personality, if you can stand to watch some Voyager...
Well if your judging my missed opportunity in the characters basic premise, then yes Chakotay takes the cake in the sense that what should have been a 7 year transition from Maqui rebel to a prim and proper Star-fleet Officer took place in 7 minutes, after which their was nothing left to develop, the other 'rebellious' characters in the crew Paris and B'Elanna at least took a while to really fall in line.I liked Kim at first. Hey, he was me only nicer - getting to serve on the Enterprise, overwhelmed by it all - only he never grew to the next stage. The writers didn't know what to do with him and the actor wasn't very good. Burned through the newb arch in a season or two, and never had anything else to offer.
But contrast that with Harry Kim, a character with absolutely NO dramatic potential right from the get go, he was always going to just be the competent yet self-doubting, shy yet friendly stereotypical Asian male. For me he is absolutely the worst character in Voyager because he literally fades into the background, can you honestly name anything he ever DID, not just done TOO him, something he actually did that was pivotal to the plot.
I thought Sylar was playing Tuvok, not Spock. Think it over; his "Spock" was a peevish unlikeable [male member], like his annoyance at humans was showing all the time, not the deep, shy trying-to-be-cold real Spock we admire.
I think we love Spock partly because he's a heroic figure. He gets results, he has superpowers, he works hard. He's different, as you say, but in a way you can wrap your head around easily. It's a credible attempt at suggesting alienness within the limits of 60's TV, but the issues Spock struggles with -self control, trying to be the person he wants to be, alienation in the lonely sense- are ones the target audience, us nerdz, can really get behind.
I am Spock.
The Gamma Quadrant was packed with lame aliens. The villains on that show were weak, if we leave the Borg out - and I'd argue that they suck, too.
creature of the weak seriesThat's Voyager all over...
You could describe the original series the same way.creature of the weak seriesThat's Voyager all over...
You don't even know real ST well enough to insult it right.Episodes were more atomized, but you didn't need to have Janeway remind you every five minutes that they are explorers.
They only met makeup people, not forehead people. And this part of the galaxy is full of parallel Earths, for some reason.
Has Fan Fiction or anything else come up with a backstory? You know, all of the "Earth-type planets" were seeded or colonized or something by a dying civilization? "The Athenians", or something of the sort, which fell prey to the Romulans, or a super-Nova?
It was a creature of the week show.Disagree.
I've said before in the Valjirr thread, that there's a good fanfic idea in there. Cher had actually already done a little something on those lines, though I don't know much about it.
They only met makeup people, not forehead people. And this part of the galaxy is full of parallel Earths, for some reason.
Yes, that would be my impression/ characterization. Except for Tribbles and the silicon based mine monster. Sounds like budget issues, doesn't it?
Has Fan Fiction or anything else come up with a backstory? You know, all of the "Earth-type planets" were seeded or colonized or something by a dying civilization? "The Athenians", or something of the sort, which fell prey to the Romulans, or a super-Nova?
The alien in the TNG episode The Chase that Uno referred to was projection of a very long-dead humanoid, looking a bit like a bald Odo.Same actress as the female evil odo, iirc.
The Wise Ones brought us here from far away. They chose a medicine chief to keep the temple - and to use it when the sky darkens.
I think I know where you're going with this, but I'd like to hear your version. Give.
...
The TNG episode where the little girl on a dying planet contacted Data WAS moral cowardice. Picard decided WRONG. The Prime Directive is for the protection ofprimitiveless technologically sophisticated peoples, and when THEY. ARE. ALL. GOING. TO. DIE., simply doesn't apply. Kirk would have saved them, not least because he had better writers.
Timothy O'Neil @timoneil5000Agreed. I would at least be eager to see it when I could for free. I sorta miss those guys, and since '09 came out felt sorry for the fans. It's like fake Star Trek was never there these days, and even Enterprise was better than deserving that.
You can't tell me there isn't enough ST: TNG nostalgia after all this time for one more project.
Expand Reply
Retweet
Just like you feel with old Trek, a lot of us do not like this reboot.;b; Yeah; they really did try to do that with even the worst of Fake ST. And good on them for trying.
Unlike TNG or even, dare we say ENT or VOY, there is no philosophy. Star Trek was more about what we SHOULD BE and an exploration of the issues and growing pains towards that.
Roberto Orci to Direct ‘Star Trek 3′ (EXCLUSIVE):( Comes as no surprise, though.
Variety
Justin Kroll Film Reporter @krolljvar May 13, 2014 | 06:06PM PT
(http://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/roberto-orci.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1)
Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
After weeks of rumblings that Roberto Orci was the frontrunner, sources have told Variety that Skydance and Paramount have indeed tapped Orci to direct Paramount and Skydance’s “Star Trek 3.”
Orci is currently writing the story with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay and had been campaigning to replace J.J. Abrams as director for some time. Abrams is busy with directing the next installment of the “Star Wars” franchise and will only be producing this pic.
Par, Skydance and his reps had no comment.
Plot details are unknown, but cast members including Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are expected to return. Abrams will produce along with his producing partner Bryan Burke and Skydance’s David Ellison.
The news comes after Orci and longtime writing partner Alex Kurtzman decided to go their separate ways on future filmmaking endeavors (although their TV production company is staying intact). Sources had told Variety that both were looking to direct more pics and that going solo would be in the best interest of both parties.
Orci is repped by CAA.
The second episode of the fanfilm series STARSHIP EXETER beganhttp://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46870&PN=1&totPosts=3 (http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46870&PN=1&totPosts=3)
filming in 2004. The teaser and first three acts have been floating
around in cyberspace for years, with promises that the episode would
eventually be finished.
Well, it's finally happened!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jkuJG1_2MnU (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jkuJG1_2MnU)
I must say that, of the various TOS-inspired fanfilms I've seen, this is
my favorite. It's exactly what I would want a TOS fanfilm to be--it's
essentially STAR TREK, but set on a different Constitution class
ship.
The acting is expectedly hit-and-miss, but the story, characters, and
style are pretty darn solid. There's very little wink-wink fannishness to
be seen here, especially in comparison to some of the more well-known
fanfilms, like NEW VOYAGES/PHASE II and STAR TREK
CONTINUES.
Fun they may be, but the fanfilms which recast Kirk and crew don't
quite sit well with me. I prefer the idea of using the established TOS
framework, but with a new and different ship and crew.
From what I read of control of Star Trek, it is as convoluted as Alpha Centauri. Some folks control some aspects of it, others control others.Interesting example of this from what I understand from John Byrne, who did a lot of Trek comics (Crew, about the early career of Number One, was great, the Romulans stuff good, and Leonard McCoy, Frontier Doctor meh,) for IDW, the company that currently holds the license, before embarking on the current original-story photonovels as seen above, is that there's been a lot of back-and-forth from the licensing department.
When he's gone, others will want to move in and cash in, and we could get lucky - and Jarjar demonstrated that the original has power and pulls in the 100 millions here in the future, and broken out of the TNG mold that long (mistakenly in the eyes of suits who didn't understand) overshadowed the archetypical appeal of teh Spock that had never gone anywhere.
I don't want people going back to the well of trying to animate De Kelley and Jimmy Doohan's corpses, actually - but maybe the next people to take over will find a fourth way more satisfying to (the real) fans of old and new, if not the DumbTrek.
What I REALLY want to see? The idea for Enterprise done right. Captain Robert April on the first voyage of the real Enterprise. Go all retro Forbidden Planet on that mother.
Been catching up today on an ST forum I follow but have neglected lately...So I listened to over half instead of watching, but got sucked in towards the end. Gonna have to actually watch it all the way through, 'cause...
Starship Exeter has finally come out with it second episode, 10 years in the making. Haven't watched this yet.
Starship Exeter: The Tressaurian Intersection (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkuJG1_2MnU#)QuoteThe second episode of the fanfilm series STARSHIP EXETER beganhttp://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46870&PN=1&totPosts=3 (http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46870&PN=1&totPosts=3)
filming in 2004. The teaser and first three acts have been floating
around in cyberspace for years, with promises that the episode would
eventually be finished.
Well, it's finally happened!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jkuJG1_2MnU (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jkuJG1_2MnU)
I must say that, of the various TOS-inspired fanfilms I've seen, this is
my favorite. It's exactly what I would want a TOS fanfilm to be--it's
essentially STAR TREK, but set on a different Constitution class
ship.
The acting is expectedly hit-and-miss, but the story, characters, and
style are pretty darn solid. There's very little wink-wink fannishness to
be seen here, especially in comparison to some of the more well-known
fanfilms, like NEW VOYAGES/PHASE II and STAR TREK
CONTINUES.
Fun they may be, but the fanfilms which recast Kirk and crew don't
quite sit well with me. I prefer the idea of using the established TOS
framework, but with a new and different ship and crew.
Chris Ryall forwarded to me an email from Walter Koenig. Apparently he was impressed with "Strange New Worlds."Now THAT's gotta be a :danc: moment for a fan...
Initiating warm, fuzzy glow!
On those original Byrne original story photonovel comics I post about occasionally -Quote from: John ByrneChris Ryall forwarded to me an email from Walter Koenig. Apparently he was impressed with "Strange New Worlds."Now THAT's gotta be a :danc: moment for a fan...
Initiating warm, fuzzy glow!
...Contact with Walter where he wasn't rude...
Has anyone read any of those photonovel comics? Cher? Anyone?
Spock's World by Diane Duane. On the strength of Duane's previous The Romulan Way, which was magnificent until a crap ending, and Valka's recommendation, Mylochka picked this up. I keep falling asleep without making it many pages, sometimes less than one, but that reflects my current circumstances, not the quality of the work so far.I didn't agree with every single little thing in there about the Vulcans, but this is basically the way I see them - some work harder at the logic-and-self-control stuff than others. (Kirk called Spock "more Vulcan than the Vulcans" at one point.) They have a regard for ceremony and tradition that may not be entirely logical, but it IS there and a thing.
Possibly Dr. McCoy's finest hour, playing against expectations nicely , even straining credulity.
A decent yarn. It was no (most of) The Romulan Way, alas, but still recommended.
He approved of money - for him.
Yeah, that's anything that doesn't have the real Mr. Sulu in it.
Who is the only person to portray themselves in the Star Trek universe?
[Jeopardy theme plays in head] Oh, you're counting fake ST ...Arguably, also Joe Piscipo...
Steven Hawking.
Not a time; not even in Generations, although he was mentioned because of his daughter...Sulu was in an episode of Voyager (Flashback).
Yes, of course. I stand corrected.
I do plan on Thanking Mylochka (and a couple others in the 3D Trek community) in my final End Credits for both inspiration and idea sourcing that led me to optimized solutions (like Uhura's opacity mapped hair). However I generally re-make things I need with my own mesh, textures etc. if for no other reason than to try to up the quality of the end result a bit.
Star Trek Continues E03 "Fairest of Them All" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJf2ovQtI6w#)This was amazingly well-paced. Considering that it heavily featured their weak Spock as Evil Weak Spock, astonishingly good.
Star Trek Continues E03 "Fairest of Them All" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJf2ovQtI6w#)
So where did the Tantalus Device Nullifier come from - did Marlena make it? ;lol
Star Trek Continues E03 "Fairest of Them All" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJf2ovQtI6w#)
I want to add my recommendation of "Fairest of Them All." This is by far the best fan-made Trek episode I've ever seen. The script was really good. I love a good mirror universe story. This one was tightly paced and engrossing. Not a false note. Even though I wouldn't have thought their Spock had the weight (literally or figuratively) to pull off the driving role he played in this one, that lil' Vulcan gave me chills at more than one point!
'Star Trek: Axanar' Fan Film Warps Beyond Crowdfunding Goalhttp://www.space.com/26839-star-trek-axanar-kickstarter-fan-film.html (http://www.space.com/26839-star-trek-axanar-kickstarter-fan-film.html)
Space.com
By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | August 16, 2014 07:00am ET
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/041/418/original/klingon-approach-axanar.jpg?1408050537)
The crowdfunding campaign for a new fan-funded "Star Trek" film more than doubled its expected goal. Credit: Axanar Productions
A new "Star Trek" fan funding campaign has just hit warp speed.
The crowdfunding campaign for "Star Trek: Axanar" — a fan-funded "Star Trek" film — has raised more than $200,000, donated through the website Kickstarter, blowing well past the original goal of $100,000. The campaign comes on the heels of another wildly successful Kickstarter launched by the team earlier this year. The budget for the film is about $600,000, and other fundraising campaigns are possible, said the executive producer of the project.
"They love what we’re doing," said Alec Peters, the executive producer of the project, of the fans who have followed "Axanar"for the past few months. "We get so much positive feedback. It inspires us to be better, and whenever we release something, they tell us something else they’d like to see."
The Kickstarter campaign closes to donations on Aug. 24.
Additionally, a 20-minute mock documentary on the battle of Axanar — the fight on which the movie is based — premiered July 26 after raising more than $100,000 through crowdfunding. Actors in the film, called "Prelude to Axanar," include Richard Hatch of "Battlestar: Galactica" and Gary Graham of "Star Trek: Enterprise."
Both Trek fan films focus on the Battle of Axanar, which was briefly mentioned in the original 1960s "Star Trek" series, but the battle itself never appeared on screen. The event was mentioned in the original series' third-season episode, "Whom Gods Destroy," which followed battle winner and Starfleet captain Garth of Izar.
Discount filming
Peters has had a lifelong fascination with Garth's story, which came to the forefront after he played the character in a fan production in 2010. He got permission from CBS representatives to go ahead with "Star Trek: The Battle of Axanar" and quickly marshaled actors and production staff to make a cinema-quality project. (The movie is allowed to proceed as long as the filmmakers do not make a profit.)
When Peters went on to Kickstarter with a $10,000 ask for the mock documentary, he received many times that amount. He attributes the success to laying out the budget concretely and constantly updating his fan funders.
"We have an active donor's group on Facebook of 1,200 people, and we've got about 2,500 donors total," Peters said. "We update them, probably, three times a week on the Kickstarter page … [and] on Facebook, we're on every day talking to them."
It took sacrifices to make a Hollywood-style film on a thrift-store budget. The production staff worked without pay. The actors took advantage of a clause in their union contracts that allows them to work for less than their rate, because this is a "new media" film.
Off-screen staff will be paid for their work on the new production but at a lesser rate than usual. Even so, "that alone is an extra $100,000," Peters said. The actors will also take a cut to their rates.
The group is still figuring out the timing of the feature film's release. They estimate it will take about 20 days to shoot, and they hope to start filming in December in Los Angeles to avoid the hottest times of year.
Fans can learn more about "Star Trek: The Battle of Axanar" and donate to the project through the film's Kickstarter crowdfunding website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/194429923/star-trek-axanar (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/194429923/star-trek-axanar)
George Takei Helps Beam $650K to 'Star Trek' Fan Filmhttp://www.space.com/26954-star-trek-axanar-george-takei-film.html (http://www.space.com/26954-star-trek-axanar-george-takei-film.html)
SPACE.COM
By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor | August 27, 2014 07:00am ET
(http://i.space.com/images/i/000/041/643/original/star-trek-axanar-drydock.jpg?1409088265)
Concept art for "Star Trek: Prelude to Axanar" depicts a Federation starship in drydock. Credit: Axanar Productions
With the backing of none other than Sulu, a fan-made production of a feature-length "Star Trek" film raised more than $650,000 to chronicle one of the U.S.S. Enterprise's adventures.
"Battlestations! RT if you want exciting new Star Trek filmmaking. Let's make this happen--just hours left to help," George Takei, who starred in "Star Trek the Original Series," wrote in a tweet Saturday (Aug. 23). His efforts beamed about $200,000 to the funding campaign for "Star Trek: Axanar," according to an estimate by the filmmakers.
The newly crowdfunded feature-length film follows a mock documentary called "Prelude to Axanar", which was released a few weeks ago.
"The most important part was Prelude itself, because it gave us enormous credibility," team leader Alec Peters said in a statement. "Combine that with an amazingly-loyal and passionate group of donors from our first Kickstarter, who tirelessly evangelized for us, and the aid of the geek media, which got behind the project after seeing our first trailer, and there was no stopping the momentum we'd built up."
All told, the filmmakers have raised more than six times their original $100,000 goal. The film will follow the events of the Battle of Axanar and Garth of Izar, which were events briefly mentioned in "the Original Series."
Actors in the new production include Richard Hatch (of "Battlestar: Galactica"), Gary Graham (of "Star Trek: Enterprise"), while production staff includes people such as Frank Serafine (who did sound design for "The Hunt For Red October") Tobias Richter, a visual effects artist who assisted with the remastered "Star Trek: The Next Generation" Blu-rays.
Actors are working at reduced rates to make the cheaper production possible, which is possible because independent films are treated differently in union contracts. The timing of release has not been firmed up yet, but filming is expected to occur in December.
You can learn more about "Star Trek: The Battle of Axanar" through the fan film's Kickstarter website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/194429923/star-trek-axanar. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/194429923/star-trek-axanar.)
(http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ST-APES-coverA-ed423-620x941.jpg)
Opinion: ‘Star Trek’ time capsule 2047 launches as Earth burnshttp://www.marketwatch.com/story/star-trek-time-capsule-2047-launches-as-earth-burns-2014-10-14?siteid=yhoof2 (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/star-trek-time-capsule-2047-launches-as-earth-burns-2014-10-14?siteid=yhoof2)
MarketWatch
Paul B. Farrell Oct 14, 2014 8:13 a.m. ET
(http://ei.marketwatch.com//Multimedia/2014/10/13/Photos/ZH/MW-CW279_star_t_20141013160006_ZH.jpg?uuid=94b89c06-5313-11e4-92a0-4f0af9836a46)
Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard in the “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode “The Inner Light.”
One very special “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode haunts me. From stardate 45944.1: “The Inner Light” gives us a brief glance at the star-crossed future of two civilizations. One boldly exploring new worlds. The other leaving behind a brief snapshot of its mysterious death. A bold metaphor for our own planet, in the near future, perhaps 2047?
The facts: The U.S.S. Enterprise is on a research mission, completing a magnetic survey of the Parvenium system when it encounters a probe floating in space. Suddenly a telepathic energy bolt drops Capt. Jean-Luc Picard on the deck, unconscious.
He wakes up on a strange planet. Dazed, recovering from a fever as “Kamin.” He cannot recognize his wife. Friends think he’s delusional, mumbling about being a starship captain.
Time passes. He gradually adapts to this new reality on this far-off world. Memories of his prior life slowly fade. He falls in love with his wife again, raises a family, his children give him grandchildren. He lives the quiet, peaceful life he never imagined in his space travels.
The planet’s natural resources gradually disappear as temperatures rise. Water gets scarce. Desert lands replace forests and rich farmlands. Food supplies depleted. The planet is dying. Near the end, he stands alone, a wide brimmed hat shielding his eyes from the blinding sun, watching the launch of a rocket, soaring into the clouds, contrails disappearing into the heavens, carrying the final record of a great civilization on a once-rich planet.
Suddenly the probe powers off. Picard wakes up on the floor of the Enterprise bridge. Only a few minutes had passed. Back in command. Engines power up. They accelerate to warp, continuing on their mission, boldly going where no one has gone before.
Picard is left with long memories of a simpler life on a planet that vanished thousands of years earlier. Alone in his quarters, Picard begins playing the flute retrieved from within the drifting space probe. A haunting melody fills his ship ... time and space fade to black.
A metaphor for Earth? Perhaps, but which one? We live with 7.3 billion people today. By 2047 the United Nations estimates the population will rocket to 10 billion, with everyone competing with America’s 400 million capitalists for ever-scarcer resources.
Yes, huge odds against us, with the rest of the world outnumbering us 22 to 1. Every nation, every society, everyone fighting for their own version of the American Dream, in an unsustainable lifestyle war that will require the resources of not one but six planets.
An impossible quandary in a world where population demographics — the bubble of all bubbles — becomes the force driving all other bubbles, economic, political, cultural. The ultimate force driving us in an accelerating trajectory into an unsustainable reality on a planet that can never feed 10 billion people.
WWIII 2020: Capitalism on a winning streak, climate keeps losing
That’s right, by 2047 Planet Earth will be incapable of feeding 10 billion people. Many already own over a million cars that also feed on an endless supply of gas. This dilemma is clear in Naomi Klein’s new classic, “This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate”: “There’s something fundamentally wrong with the way we’re organizing our economy and thinking about our place on the planet.” Yes, capitalism. And as Einstein would say, we cannot fix the problems of capitalism with capitalist solutions.
Still, capitalists believe capitalism is the solution to everything. Stalemate. Only worldwide revolutions shift this paradigm. Which are likely to come, but too late. We’re in denial: We get wake-up calls from many leaders like Klein. But our brains are wired to ignore them. Gallup polls confirm: Global warming is not a major national issue for 76% of Americans.
None of this is new: America had a huge wake-up call over a decade ago at the launch of the Iraq War. In the “Pentagon’s Weather Nightmare” Fortune analyzed a classified George W. Bush Defense Department report on climate and global warming, one that sounds eerily like the Star Trek scenario.
Yes, our own Pentagon predicted global climate wars, coming even before 2047. Listen: “The climate could change radically, and fast. That would be the mother of all national security issues … massive droughts, turning farmland into dust bowls and forests to ashes … by 2020 there is little doubt that something drastic is happening, an old pattern could emerge — warfare defining human life.”
Too many people, too few resources, competing interests, the clock’s ticking loudly. And 2020 is dead ahead.
Get it? We have been warned. Many, many times. Even by America’s own generals and our war machine. But America just keeps digging, deeper and deeper, into our collective denial. We get wake-up calls. We ignore them. Nothing new, we prefer denying reality.
Are we “boldly going” anywhere? Should America launch its own time-capsule probe now? In 2020? Wait till 2047, when it may be too late to do anything about it?
Let’s here from you, in the comment section below. And if you can’t be civil, don’t be snarky, try rational. Be on your best behavior, or silent. We may post the best of the best. Advice, policies and decisions that articulate what future civilizations need to know about our experience on global warming and climate change ... from both the right and the left ... what works, what didn’t. How to build opportunities. Avoid mistakes. Do the right thing.
(the original author never noticed for a moment that she was having a Russian-accented character wandering around the U.S. in the 1950s).
As if I hadn't been jarred out of the scene enough already, hating the Elvis guy.But... but, that's James Cawley! The guy who executive-produced this! He's the Guy In Charge of the New Voyages/Phase II fan films! He used to play Captain Kirk, before stepping down and hiring the guy currently playing him! And his RL job is being an Elvis impersonator! So it's an in-joke! It's supposed to be funny!
The Enterprise model work is mighty showy - not trying to look like Star Trek. The model's fine, but the Enterprise should move with gravity...There is supposed to be a version online that does look more '60s. They did the special effects and model stuff two different ways, as an experiment.
Well, that sucked - but I can't imagine how one would tell the story as a good episode to begin with.The original script they were going to use did have Peter in it.
They forgot to work in Peter Kirk, WHO IS GAY! DEAL WITH IT! YOU MAY NOT LOOK AWAY! -So points for that.
Mylochka reminded me of something important I left out of my remarks - their new Kirk is definitely a better fit. Cawley didn't do anything exactly wrong I can put a finger on ... but just wasn't right for the part. Absolutely no macho swagger - Kirk needs a hint of that.Well, for one thing he's dark-haired. The first time I watched a New Voyages/Phase II fan film, I had to keep reminding myself that it's Captain Kirk in charge of the ship, not Elvis Presley.
This is definitely true - we need to see him doing the stock Kirk stuff before we can be sure he a good Kirk.Kirk in Dagger of the Mind only kissed Helen because he was being mind-controlled. In Conscience of the King, he was using Lenore to get to her father, not knowing at the time that he was romancing a serial killer.
Did you think he carried off trying to kiss the doctor in proper Kirk style? (Needy, sick in-crisis ala' Dagger of the Mind Kirk being an entirely different creature than in-control-and-charming-on-purpose Kirk, as exampled in Conscience of the King, mind you. There's something lonely and needy deep inside the man that's looking for The One, contrary to his reputation as a womanizer - which he is, but only a little.)
Ewwww.WHAT???!!! :o
I can never unsee the mental image of old fat Shatner macking on Lala Ward.
http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-suds-canadian-company-boldly-brews-klingon-173055170.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-suds-canadian-company-boldly-brews-klingon-173055170.html)
'Star Trek' Suds: Canadian Company Boldly Brews a Klingon Ale
SPACE.com
By Elizabeth Howell December 12, 2014 12:30 PM
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/Q.VhkJLH3gLf39XJ5Sx6Yg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTQ2MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz01NzU-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/%27Star_Trek%27_Suds_Canadian_Company-5dfff433ed792716c538380ef3d160d0)
gons come out to Halifax, Nova Scotia's Garrison Brewing after the launch of Klingon Warnog Roggen Dunkel Ale in November 2014.
A new "Star Trek"-themed beer warped into stores in Canada in November, and it's making a splash.
A Klingon ale concept made it big last month after a Canadian brewery heard that it had approval from "Star Trek" creators to make the beer. A company in Vulcan, Alberta, collaborated with Nova Scotia's Garrison Brewing to create the Klingon Warnog Roggen Dunkel Ale in time for a comic convention in Halifax in November.
"We’re beer geeks and a lot of us are sci-fi geeks, so it was a pretty logical fit," said Brian Titus, the president and co-founder of Garrison. "We just love the idea of doing it. The neat thing about 'Star Trek' is over the years, there have been so many variations of it. It's gone on in some different form for decades, and everyone can relate to it."
And the response to the Warnog ale was far more than what Titus, who created his craft-beer brewery in 1997, ever expected. In fact, it led to a brief Klingon invasion of his Halifax-based location.
Klingon Warnog: A warrior's ale
The beer collaboration dates back to licensing agreements that Alberta-based Federation of Beer made with CBS/Paramount a few years ago. Federation was interested in creating Vulcan ale with a brewery in Montana, an idea that received warm support from beer lovers and "Star Trek" fans alike.
When Federation approached Garrison in hopes that a Canadian brewery would make a beer with them, Titus said he jumped at the opportunity. It was up to his brewery to create the recipe, so he decided to go for the unexpected.
(http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ztFZeOdmHVWDesVPIZ3MJQ--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTU3NTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz01NzU-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/%27Star_Trek%27_Suds_Canadian_Company-e35ae598eaef11edb7a455270dbd8f9f)
Klingon Warnog Roggen Dunkel Ale on the shelves after Garrison Brewing's launch of the Star Trek-themed beer.
The base was a dark German weissbeer, which is usually light and hazy, but Garrison added chocolate, dark malts and spices to change things up. "There's a lot of neat things going on in this brew," Titus told Space.com.
Warnog is a Klingon alcoholic beverage that is not quite as popular as bloodwine, according to "Star Trek"-themed site Memory Beta, but it was mentioned on television in shows like "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
A beer with honor
In this case, a healthy contingent of Klingons showed up in association with Hal-Con (a comic convention held Nov. 7-9). The local Klingon Assault Group, which does a number of charity events, not only drank the beer but helped serve it to other willing clients, Titus said.
"We knew it would tap a nerve, but we didn't realize it was quite as big a nerve as we saw," he said. "We had long-time customers – we've never exchanged the words 'Star Trek' before – come in wearing some T-shirt from back in the day and picking up a four-pack."
Even after paying Paramount a licensing fee, the brewery still turned a healthy profit and is looking to get the ale on the shelves in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. More "Star Trek" brew is coming in the future, Titus added.
"We'll definitely be doing this beer again," Titus said. "Then there's also the Vulcan ale in the lineup as a potential brew for us to do here, and there are a couple of other ideas that could stew around."
You can learn more about the Klingon Warnog brew at the Federation of Beer website: http://www.federationofbeer.com/. (http://www.federationofbeer.com/.)
I never met anyone cosplaying a real Klingon...
I never met anyone cosplaying a real Klingon...You don't see many OS cosplayers at all, frankly.
They're so much fatter!
I'm wouldn't know about them - but it sound like partly a management/direction problem.
Still - I bet the Klingons did group bat'leth warmups before the show and that was somebody's idea, and someone led the exercises...
Might have also doubled as real security, not sure.
[shrugs] The mind meld is a complex two-handed thing, usually. I guess somebody could google Nimoy's handedness - but my money's still on right, and not because of the odds.
As a good OG Trekker, I can do it easily with either hand, of course.
Unfortunately, I'm not ambidextrous when it comes to writing. :(One of my favorite things to do to freak people out is to write with both hands at the same time, 2 different things.
One of my favorite things to do to freak people out is to write with both hands at the same time, 2 different things.
‘Star Trek 3′ Sets July 8, 2016, Release Datehttp://variety.com/2014/film/news/star-trek-3-sets-july-8-2016-release-date-1201386320/ (http://variety.com/2014/film/news/star-trek-3-sets-july-8-2016-release-date-1201386320/)
Variety
Dave McNary December 23, 2014 | 11:42AM PT
(http://i0.wp.com/pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/star-trek-into-darkness-enterprise.jpg?crop=0px%2C6px%2C1920px%2C1068px&resize=670%2C377)
Paramount Pictures will release “Star Trek 3″ on July 8, 2016 — marking the 50-year anniversary of the television launch of the landmark science-fiction series.
“Star Trek 3″ is the first title to be dated for July 8, 2016. Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG” and Warner Bros.’ live-action “Tarzan” open a week earlier.
The TV series debuted on Sept. 8, 1966, on NBC and aired for three seasons.
Tuesday’s dating announcement came a day after Justin Lin signed on to direct the third installment in Paramount’s rebooted “Star Trek” franchise. The hiring of Lin came two weeks after Roberto Orci backed away from the directing gig.
Orci had been hired for the helming job earlier this year after J.J. Abrams had to exit the sequel due to his commitment to direct Disney’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Abrams directed the first two “Star Trek” reboots in 2009 and 2013.
David Ellison’s Skydance Prods. and Abrams’ Bad Robot are producing. Orci and Abrams are the producers. Patrick McKay and John D. Payne worked on the most recent draft of the script.
Lin directed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth installments of the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
Last year’s “Star Trek Into Darkness” grossed $467 million worldwide, including $229 million domestically.
(http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/uploads/TonyTower/2015-01-01_195749_picardo.jpg)
I've seen around 50 episodes of the original Star Trek on Netflix. Can't get enough of it. That and Twilight Zone might be the best things on Netflix. I could never get into any of the other series.
It's an interesting show, no doubt. But if you've seen any of the original series, the bloopers will make you laugh.
STAR TREK BLOOPERS 1960`s Original Series (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZAkGfJY05k#)
Also, on the first episode there is a different captain... I think it was "Captain Pike" or something. Was he just for the pilot? I think they actually mentioned in that episode that he planned to resign.
This is also a pretty funny parody of it.
Is nuTrek the next generation series?The Star Trek spinoffs are The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. The Animated Series is an animated attempt to continue the Original Series. There was a "prequel" series called Enterprise, that contradicts a lot of stuff established in the Original Series, the Animated Series, and The Next Generation. Personally I don't consider Enterprise to be real Star Trek, any more than I consider the two (soon to be three) Abrams movies to be real Star Trek. The fan films are more authentic than either Enterprise or nuTrek.
I remember trying to watch that. it felt so wrong after watching the 60's version. I turned it off and never looked back about halfway through the first episode.
Eh, the only StarTrek I ever liked was the 60's series.Is nuTrek the next generation series?The Star Trek spinoffs are The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. The Animated Series is an animated attempt to continue the Original Series. There was a "prequel" series called Enterprise, that contradicts a lot of stuff established in the Original Series, the Animated Series, and The Next Generation. Personally I don't consider Enterprise to be real Star Trek, any more than I consider the two (soon to be three) Abrams movies to be real Star Trek. The fan films are more authentic than either Enterprise or nuTrek.
I remember trying to watch that. it felt so wrong after watching the 60's version. I turned it off and never looked back about halfway through the first episode.
The term "nuTrek" refers to the Abrams movies that started coming out in 2009. In my opinion these movies are utter garbage, for many reasons, and therefore I refuse to accord them the status of genuine, authentic Star Trek. So when I refer to nuTrek this series of movies is what I mean. NuKirk, nuSpock, nuMcCoy, nuScotty, nuUhura, nuChekov, and nuSulu refer to the characters in these abominable movies. As far as I'm concerned, they're just caricatures of the real characters.
It was getting better when they quit making it, as far as characterization of the regulars.
-But they'd run a lot of tropes into the ground (think holodeck stories, for example) years before with no signs of stopping...
The writing was just plain bad - and as you noted in the first season, EVERYTHING was bad.
George Takei's musical 'Allegiance' finally gets to Broadwayhttp://news.yahoo.com/george-takeis-musical-allegiance-finally-gets-broadway-170315171.html (http://news.yahoo.com/george-takeis-musical-allegiance-finally-gets-broadway-170315171.html)
Associated Press
By MARK KENNEDY February 5, 2015 2:39 PM
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/R7umkupus8Yfh1mmqQVOHA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTc0NjtpbD1wbGFuZTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/6206c38ccebe48056d0f6a7067002c53.jpg)
In this Jan. 31, 2014 file photo, actor George Takei attends "Howard Stern's Birthday Bash" in New York. Takei is boldly going to Broadway _ the "Star Trek" star’s personal and heartfelt show about Japanese-Americans behind bars during World War II has found a spot on the Great White Way this fall. Takei is boldly going to Broadway _ the "Star Trek" star’s personal and heartfelt show about Japanese-Americans behind bars during World War II has found a spot on the Great White Way this fall. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — George Takei is next boldly going somewhere special — to Broadway.
The "Star Trek" star's personal and heartfelt show about Japanese-Americans imprisoned during World War II has found a spot on the Great White Way this fall with him in a starring role.
"It is absolutely thrilling," Takei, who helped turn his childhood memories in an internment camp into the new musical "Allegiance," told The Associated Press. "I consider this production my legacy project."
"Allegiance" is a multigenerational tale with two love stories that's framed by a Japanese-American war veteran looking back on his family's time in a Wyoming camp. Previews are set to begin on Oct. 6 at a Shubert Theatre still to be announced.
It will mark the first Asian-led cast of a musical on Broadway in more than a decade, since "Flower Drum Song." David Henry Hwang's play "Chinglish," with a predominantly Asian cast, played 109 total performances in 2011-12.
"Allegiance" features music and lyrics by Jay Kuo — which blends Big Band sounds with Japanese folk melodies and brassy Broadway numbers — and a book by Marc Acito, Kuo and Lorenzo Thione. It is being directed by Stafford Arima, who directed "Carrie" and "Altar Boyz" off-Broadway and whose own father was interned in Canada during the war, a dark chapter in American history that not everyone knows.
"I'm always shocked by the number of people I consider to be well informed who, when I tell them about my childhood and growing up behind barbed-wire fences, they are aghast and shocked. They'd never heard of it," Takei said.
The show had a sold-out premiere in 2012 at the Old Globe in San Diego, starring Takei, Lea Salonga and Telly Leung. So far, only Takei has signed on for the Broadway run but he said "we are working to recreate that." The producers are Thione and Andrew Treagus.
Takei was 5 years old when soldiers marched onto his front porch with bayonets in May 1942 and ordered his entire family to leave their Los Angeles home. His school days began with him reciting "The Pledge of Allegiance" but he could see the barbed wire and sentry towers through his school room window.
It would be nearly four years until the family was able to return to Los Angeles, penniless and forced to start over on Skid Row. His parents "worked their fingers to the bones and got us back on our feet," Takei said. They went on to buy a three-bedroom house and send all three of their children to good universities.
"I owe so much to my parents, and, in many ways, this production is my tribute to them. It's a kind of lifetime of gratitude coming to fruition," said Takei, who would earn fame as Sulu aboard the USS Enterprise. "It's a very, very personal project."
Takei said he believed his musical will be the first Broadway show to investigate the internment of Japanese-Americans and pointed to other great musicals that tackle tough moments in history, including "Les Miserables" and "Cabaret." At the heart of "Allegiance" is the importance of family, he said and that's something "everyone can identify with."
Finding a Broadway berth has taken years, partly due to the complicated logistics of traditional theater booking and partly because the subject is a mostly unknown chapter of American history.
"All the Broadway theaters had been booked up and there was a long line of productions waiting for the next vacancy. So we just had to get in line and vamp our time," he said. "It is very, very frustrating and anxiety-ridden. We're absolutely thrilled that we're at this point now. 2015 is going to be the year of 'Allegiance.'"
A bottom-up, grass roots effort to land it a home in New York has included leveraging fans of Takei — a wry social media magnet known for his catchphrase "Oh, My!" — as well as a Facebook campaign with more than 530,000 likes, and an unprecedented offer for theatergoers to reserve a seat for the show before it had gotten a theater.
___
Online: http://www.allegiancemusical.com (http://www.allegiancemusical.com)
Being a former boomerang guy, it looks like a throwing weapon to me. That would be the reason for the lack of a proper grip, or a point for thrusting.
It wouldn't be the first time a drunk captained a (star?) ship?That's the doctor.
Caption this:
(http://www.tor.com/images/stories/blogs/15_03/st-noman4.jpg)
I don't even remember seeing a phaser rifle or -gun onscreen in TOS. Let alone Spock in a yellow shirt.A phaser rifle was used in the episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before." It's what Kirk used to kill Gary Mitchell.
Then again, the series was probably never completely broadcasted here back then. Scifi was more of a filler on TV then.
'Star Trek: Captain Pike' Fan Film to Boldly Go to Pre-Kirk Enterprisehttp://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-captain-pike-fan-film-boldly-pre-110802234.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-captain-pike-fan-film-boldly-pre-110802234.html)
SPACE.com
By Elizabeth Howell May 21, 2015 7:08 AM
A group of dedicated "Star Trek" fans want to make a new movie, featuring a character from "The "Original Series" who was captain of the Enterprise before James T. Kirk. And they plan to have experienced "Star Trek" actors taking part.
Christopher Pike was featured in the first pilot episode of the original "Star Trek" TV show. That episode, called "The Cage," concerns a mission in the year 2254, when Captain Pike and his crew are leaving the planet Rigel VII, where several team members were killed.
"The incident filled Pike with so much guilt that he is considering resigning his commission. But that's all we know about Captain Pike, and we want to know so much more. Don't you?" the group's Kickstarter page reads (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/528924618/star-trek-captain-pike).
"This is the story of Captain Pike when he first takes command of the Enterprise and his first mission aboard her," it adds. "And with your help, it will lead into a 90-minute Captain Pike film or Web Series."
The group — which calls itself Rigel 7 Productions — aims to first make a 45-minute feature called "Star Trek: Captain Pike," then produce the 90-minute movie "Star Trek: Encounter at Rigel."
So far Rigel 7 Productions' Kickstarter campaign has raised almost $24,000 of its $112,000 goal. The campaign will close on June 3.
Rigel 7 Productions says "Encounter at Rigel" would answer three questions raised by "The Cage" pilot episode: What happened to Pike's first officer and science officer (Mr. Spock) on the first mission; if Pike ever went into battle; and what alien race he encountered.
Pike will be played by Todd Shawn Tei, the producer of the show. The cast also includes Robert Picardo, who played The Doctor on "Star Trek: Voyager."
Other headliners include Bruce Davison ("Star Trek: Voyager and Enterprise"), Dwight Schultz ("Star Trek: TNG"), Linda Park ("Star Trek: Enterprise") and Chase Masterson ("Star Trek: Deep Space 9").
The funds will go toward payments for items such as set construction, filming, actors and make-up, with a small portion going to charity, project representatives said.
Paramount Pictures, which is working on a third film in the rebooted "Star Trek" series in Hollywood, allows "Star Trek" fan productions to go forward as long as those projects do not make a profit. Last year, another project called "Star Trek: Axanar (http://www.space.com/25265-star-trek-prelude-to-axanar-kickstarter-video.html)" warped well past its crowdfunding goal on Kickstarter.
Star Trek episode mirror mirror recap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyY6k-gEVEE#ws)
Star Trek Shore Leave epsiode recap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEcEjMMU0a4#ws)
Star Trek Pizza Monster episode recap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnjPr4Hx6VY#ws)
Star Trek The Menagerie episode recap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuwgn1U8aTc#ws)
George Takei Opens Up About Feud With William Shatnerhttps://gma.yahoo.com/george-takei-opens-feud-william-shatner-191939980--abc-news-celebrities.html (https://gma.yahoo.com/george-takei-opens-feud-william-shatner-191939980--abc-news-celebrities.html)
Good Morning America
By MICHAEL ROTHMAN 4 hours ago
(https://s1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/bMtEeXSYgoQHNXnT6mFLlw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTU0MDtpbD1wbGFuZTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/gma/us.abcnews.gma.com/GTY_takei_shatner_jef_150616_16x9_992.jpg)
"Star Trek" icon George Takei is opening up about his ongoing so-called feud with former co-star William Shatner.
"It’s all coming from Bill. Whenever he needs a little publicity for a project, he pumps up the so-called controversy between us," he told the New York Times Magazine, adding that there's no real tension.
When asked about Shatner, 84, calling Takei "psychotic" seven years ago, he responded, "Two months after my wedding, he went on YouTube and ranted and raved about our not sending him an invitation. We had. If he had an issue, he could have easily just phoned us before the wedding, simple as that. But he didn’t. And the reason he raised that fuss two months later is because he was premiering his new talk show, 'Raw Nerve.'"
The 78-year-old actor said any problems the two have date back to the days of "Star Trek."
"It’s difficult working with someone who is not a team player. The rest of the cast all understand what makes a scene work -- it’s everybody contributing to it. But Bill is a wonderful actor, and he knows it, and he likes to have the camera on him all the time," he said.
Takei did say he doesn't need to forgive Shatner and has already invited him to his new musical "Allegiance," which he wrote about his family's struggles during WWII in an internment camp. It will hit Broadway in November.
Shatner's representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment from ABC News.
That's cute! Love how they got "Shut up, Wesley" in there. :D
You mean you're unfamiliar with Star Trek: The Next Generation?
Well, there are lots of varieties of Star Trek around, what with 6 TV series, TOS movies, TNG movies, many excellent fan films, and if you're really desperate, there's always the nuTrek crap.
My favorite is, of course, the Original Series (TOS). My second favorite is Voyager, followed by the Animated Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and I don't like Enterprise at all. So that's the TV shows.
Movies... well, in my opinion only the first 4 TOS movies were any good. And I did like the character of Lily Sloane in First Contact. The rest of the movies range from "not very good" to "what a waste of resources it was, making this garbage."
Fan films... There are a lot of them! I tend to follow only a couple of series, though, and both are based on TOS. Phase II/New Voyages has put out quite a lot of fan films, some guest-starring George Takei and Walter Koenig. Those are the better ones, in my estimation. Star Trek Continues hasn't done as many, but the quality of those they have done is top-notch. It looks and feels almost like real Star Trek. There are a couple of other fan film series I've seen, and they go strictly for humor: Stone Trek, which is Star Trek done in the style of the Flintstones, and The Red Shirt Diaries, which is told from the POV of a female red shirt who has, so far, managed to survive.
NuTrek (aka Abramstrek, Abramsverse, JJverse)... if you're into pointless retcons, actors who can't act, plots that make no sense, an Engineering room that looks like a brewery, gratuitous underwear scenes (really, if you don't want the guy to look when you're changing, don't stand there and pose for him when he does sneak a look), completely unprofessional officers (Captain, I know this is a serious mission and we could be killed, but just shut up while I whine at my boyfriend, kthxbai), and blatant ripoffs of what's been done before, in a far superior way with much better actors... well, nuTrek would be for you.
However, TV and movies and fan films are not all that's available. Add in hundreds of novels and fanfic stories that number in... probably the millions (including the terrific Valjiir series, stories and artwork by members of this very forum - see the Valjiir thread for more information ;)).
And I did like the character of Lily Sloane in First Contact.
Rape survivor revenge story -an honorable horrorish trope in addition to the creepy Borg running around like zombie hordes- and so he needed more than usual to play it big and hit the back seats...
...I may follow up with similar on the fake/TNG movies, but in my personal headcannon, Spock is still heroically dead, and nothing since really happened. Green1 can call me a bittervetTM all he wants - it's my head and that's my Star Trek.
First Contact, as Picard's rape survivor metaphor story, was Picard losing it, Picard out of control - explicitly in the story, ex. machine-gunning the Borg on the holodeck. You may have seen his performance beats coming, may have found it all too obvious, but the arc called for Big Performance. Personally, I wanted the movie to suck very much after the previous, and that I enjoyed it at all on any level was a triumph - and enjoy it I did, considerably, for all its flaws.
Please do.I will. I probably would have anyway, since Turtle asked for this kind of thing and I both aims to please and have something to say -despite all my bittervetTM stuff sliming this thread from end to end, I'm an actual TNG/DS9/Voyager/Enterprise fan who watched them pretty much in full, and enjoyed them and wished they were better - not something -I confidently, if arrogantly, assert- that most fake Star Track fans can say in reverse.
I get it, he is what he is, and he delivered about the best you could expect. It wasn't BAD, but it's certainly worth mentioning. Just saying that Lily Sloane helps to mitigate some of that coming from Picard as they get attached to the hip, and I think her presense probably makes this the best Picard showing of the movies (series) hands down. Something none of the regulars could manage. He never really had a good foil, as Kirk had with Spock. She gives him that in a way no one else could.You're right about John Luke having no Spock, for all that Data was sitting right there hitting a lot of Spock's story beats in his own way (nor did he have a McCoy), and excellent point.
We should all do overviews of the various shows in the same vein, according to our knowledge, actually.
I'm aware of a few subtle hints that our leader likes Star Trek, at least fake Star Trek, and I know I LOVE the REAL Star Trek, so let's talk about it...
[EDIT: I want to interject that I don't think I admitted explicitly in this thread until today, nearly 3.5 years later, that I am a fan of TNG/DS9/Voyager/and even Enterprise who watched them all pretty much in full and enjoyed them and wished they were better - and that the original had flaws. I have written professionally a little and acted professionally (if wildly underpayed) a fair amount, and I do have a high opinion of my own opinion, claiming extensive knowledge of the subject as I do - but I don't want to put fans of TNG-era ST off. Love what you love, proclaim your love and engage me and the other fans courteously. You're wanted here.
We love Star Trek, and want to talk about it.
AbramsTrek love will be treated with respect towards the member expressing, but your ideas will tend to need extremely vigorous and articulate defense, not least because you couldn't be wronger. ;):D]
But I have to disagree about Lily - Dr. Crusher would have been less exposition-friendly, but could have otherwise filled the exact same role, likely even better - and given the poor woman something to do. I'm sure that you will be shocked, SHOCKED to hear that I think there were a lot of very bad writers among the Brannon Bragga hack posse.
My favorite is, of course, the Original Series (TOS). My second favorite is Voyager, followed by the Animated Series, Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and I don't like Enterprise at all. So that's the TV shows.
Movies... well, in my opinion only the first 4 TOS movies were any good. And I did like the character of Lily Sloane in First Contact. The rest of the movies range from "not very good" to "what a waste of resources it was, making this garbage."
Fan films... There are a lot of them! I tend to follow only a couple of series, though, and both are based on TOS. Phase II/New Voyages has put out quite a lot of fan films, some guest-starring George Takei and Walter Koenig. Those are the better ones, in my estimation. Star Trek Continues hasn't done as many, but the quality of those they have done is top-notch. It looks and feels almost like real Star Trek. There are a couple of other fan film series I've seen, and they go strictly for humor: Stone Trek, which is Star Trek done in the style of the Flintstones, and The Red Shirt Diaries, which is told from the POV of a female red shirt who has, so far, managed to survive.
NuTrek (aka Abramstrek, Abramsverse, JJverse)... if you're into pointless retcons, actors who can't act, plots that make no sense, an Engineering room that looks like a brewery, gratuitous underwear scenes (really, if you don't want the guy to look when you're changing, don't stand there and pose for him when he does sneak a look), completely unprofessional officers (Captain, I know this is a serious mission and we could be killed, but just shut up while I whine at my boyfriend, kthxbai), and blatant ripoffs of what's been done before, in a far superior way with much better actors... well, nuTrek would be for you.
However, TV and movies and fan films are not all that's available. Add in hundreds of novels and fanfic stories that number in... probably the millions (including the terrific Valjiir series, stories and artwork by members of this very forum - see the Valjiir thread for more information ;) ).
See Buncle, this is what should be encouraged, I'm actually gonna watch star trek because of this post.
Yes. ;nod ;nod ;nod ;nod ;nod ;nod ;nod ;nod ;nodValka is pure gold.Glad you've got her in this jumbleytown you made then :)
Generations: All but unwatchable:o ??? :mad:
STAR TREK: GENERATIONSYou'll have to do with that.
was on TV tonight and despite all the things I have to do I chose to watch it again and come here posting.
A moving movie!
It's about youth and about old age. About time and what it means.
About the choices we made, what we've gained from them and what we had to let as we went ahead, and so it's also about regrets. It's about duty and its contingencies, having children or protecting those who have. About sadness and pride and hope.
The past and present and future and whether we accept them or not.
It's about passing the baton instead of keeping it forever.
Of course there is a Deus ex Machina at the end but, hey, this is Star Trek.
What kind of man could hate this movie without hating all movies?
I never thought of her as resembling Nana Visitor before. It might have made an interesting twist that they were related - half siblings, or maybe cousins, and ended up taking very different life paths in dealing with the Cardassian occupation.Tend to think making them related is too obvious to be a good move - I would have liked a line about them being a common Bajoran type, though, at least. -Sorta like Sava looking like every guy in Chicago.
Walter Koenig or;lol ;)
Valka, I don't recognize the new avatar. More Enya?Yes, it's a new Enya picture. I cropped this portion from a larger image.
What does she have to do with Star Trek?
What does she have to do with Star Trek?Nothin'.
What does she have to do with Star Trek?
I'll have a look at the size options today, no random event triggering, and make it 100x if I can.It's the first time I've mentioned it to anybody online (at least that I can recall). A couple of people knew about it in RL and said they'd like to read it when it's finished... but it's one of those stories that got started, set aside, and never did get any further.
[ninja'd]What does she have to do with Star Trek?Nothin'.
(First I've heard about Val's fanfic.)
Okay - I went 150x, which makes everything in the user galleries instantly obsolete (something north of 2,000 of my work, I think, that didn't size crop themselves, and some were a lot of work, like the one I'm wearing was), and I don't care for really big avatars - but I ain't running this place entirely for my own benefit, and it's stupid for a place that's co-owned by a big avatar guy to be stuck in the 90s.Thank you! :)
Enjoy your voyage. ;st
Would you like me to alter that .gif so the smilie is Spud?That would be cool! :) I'm not sure I'd dare use it at TrekBBS, though - Camilla (the smiley artist) knows I use the tractor beam smiley there, and she's adamant that people don't alter her images.
Three responses to the same remark? ??? Must listen more to Enya to be on the safe side... ;cuteThe first I heard of her was when she was associated with Clannad - the group that did much of the music for the old '80s TV series Robin of Sherwood. Then later, I saw one of her music videos ("Orinoco Flow") and it just blew me away. The next song of hers I heard was "Only Time," and I was hooked.
:)I disappeared long enough to watch my soap (General Hospital). I have to catch it fast on YouTube, as Disney has begun enforcing its geographical-based copyright rules and blocks Canadians from viewing videos from any TV show they own (current ones, anyway; I seem to still be able to watch older episodes if they're from years ago).
---
-Okay, since Val was gone when I surfaced, I saved her Romanna (filename: RomannaHominahomina.jpg :D ) and put it on myself, to confirm it fit. It does, and 150x is close to width limit, I think (maybe up to 200w would work, I'd guess, and tall would only make your short posts tall - no problem). -Then I decided to test the smilie (141x45) - and I think I'll wear that for a while. Animated .gifs sometimes don't want to work for citizens, but they always do for me, provided they're not too big, so ask if you have trouble with one and I can make it work.
The first I heard of her was when she was associated with Clannad - the group that did much of the music for the old '80s TV series Robin of Sherwood. Then later, I saw one of her music videos ("Orinoco Flow") and it just blew me away. The next song of hers I heard was "Only Time," and I was hooked.
Somebody once said that one measure of how good a TV show is, is how much fanfic gets written about it.I remember, sometime around season 4 or 5? of ST:VOY, I found a forum, that had something like a storytelling fanfic/rpg. So forum members were assuming positions on a starship, that had the mission to contact USS Voyager, possibly bring it back. The idea was to write interesting story with a feel of a role-playing game. I almost signed for it, but then it did not work, since I had to attend my RL things.
Fanfiction.net alone has over 8000 Star Trek: Voyager stories, and many of those are multi-chapter novels. ...
...I made "A literary debate", and that's me flashing Vulcan gang signs - out of frame, I'm pushing the capture button on my webcam with my toe. Y'all may post to laugh at my jokes and praise me now...;lol
Once I'd figured out sizing and orientation of pasting Spud in -not easy; not easy at all, with the hat and the lighting effects on the bill- the challenge was the steering wheel. It moves relative to his face as everything is tugged on. I had to paste the back of the cap on his head, and paste that back, matching position in each frame and erasing the pixels that would have covered the steering wheel before I dropped the paste in, 17 times. I shaved off superfluous empty background border around the edges, and ran an optimization of the file, also minimizing colors in the .gif palette, w/o discernible quality loss, before I saved. The file should be smaller now, and therefore that much less of a burden on sites where it's used. (It was 35K before, and 9k savings matters.)
Spud is so cool. He just don't give an intercourse about nothin'...
...Mylochka and I were somewhat heavily involved in a ST club in California back in the caveman days of snailmail before and slightly after TNG came out. There was a general newsletter, and a shipboard one where everyone assumed a crew character and wrote -I guess, memos- and there was no attempt at making it go anywhere like a story (and thus, comedy, comedy, comedy) - so, it was much like a forum where everyone's put on a fake persona, only you put a lot more into crafting a post, because it was gonna take a month.Well, the beauty of fandom is that if there's something you don't like, you can always write satire about it. A RL friend and I collaborated on a TNG crossover parody, and we were merciless in mocking the characters. The starship Surprise!'s captain was Captain Jacquard, and his 3rd Officer (aka Number 3) was Commander Bill Biker (don't ask what happened to Numbers 1 and 2; it was kinda messy...). We renamed everybody with puns or parodies of their TNG names (some names better than others). Data became Info, Deanna Troi became Hellana of Troy, and Beverly and Wesley Crusher became Beverly and Eastley Smasher. We made this a first-season parody, so Security was run by Lieutenant Wharf after the untimely death of Yasha Tar. I don't actually remember offhand how we renamed Geordi - he was an awfully forgettable character in the first season. But one thing I insisted on was dragging Star Trek into the modern era, and they were going metric. So Miles O'Brien became Kilometres O'Brien.
I was writing both our characters -she was an obvious Sgt. Benjamin rip-off who took over the shuttlebay for a split-level condo and threw a never-ending party. That one really caught on with everyone. I came in later as a hard-boiled reporter covering the starship Tradition, and ST fandom being unlike most a traditionally a reverse-sausage party the ladies of the crew I had molestering me in my reports received it rather enthusiastically.
Good times, good times. Too bad about TNG coming along and gutting fandom.
So Miles O'Brien became Kilometres O'Brien.
I just got really annoyed by how Rosalind Chao (Keiko) kept pronouncing "Miles."So Miles O'Brien became Kilometres O'Brien.
;lol
Wasn't fair. You're Canadian. :P
Having to be Canadian IS unfair, now that you mention it...Well, at times it's damned annoying when Disney won't let me watch General Hospital on YouTube and people keep talking about all this extra content that's available for Big Brother that I can't access (Canadians are not allowed to watch CBS.com).
Sneak TV - she done told you that.
Beginning my run-down of the TNG movies, as Uno encouraged:Star Trek: Generations
Well, to begin with, it made a terrible start; it had ST movie-era characters using TNG-era 'technobabble' - they were reconfiguring stuff in an emergency aboard the Excelsior. A nerd nit-pick, you may say? (And why are you bothering to defend this turkey that's absolutely no one's favorite, anyway?) Perhaps, but also a sure sign of a problem inherent to the picture throughout; barely-competent TV writers way in over their heads trying to do a movie. It didn't help that it was a huge rude finger raised to fans of the real ST, but leaving that aside entirely, it just wasn't well-thought-out, well-paced, was a waste of Malcolm McDowall as a supervillain, and just wasn't a very good movie on any level.
I have nothing good to say about it (and am biting back considerable profanity)...
(And why are you bothering to defend this turkey that's absolutely no one's favorite, anyway?)You called me a no one, you asked for it! :D
Beginning my run-down of the TNG movies, as Uno encouraged:Star Trek: Generations
Well, to begin with, it made a terrible start; it had ST movie-era characters using TNG-era 'technobabble' - they were reconfiguring stuff in an emergency aboard the Excelsior. A nerd nit-pick, you may say? (And why are you bothering to defend this turkey that's absolutely no one's favorite, anyway?) Perhaps, but also a sure sign of a problem inherent to the picture throughout; barely-competent TV writers way in over their heads trying to do a movie. It didn't help that it was a huge rude finger raised to fans of the real ST, but leaving that aside entirely, it just wasn't well-thought-out, well-paced, was a waste of Malcolm McDowall as a supervillain, and just wasn't a very good movie on any level.
I have nothing good to say about it (and am biting back considerable profanity) EXCEPT-
I'll swim against the tide in regards to a key plot point many fans like to harp on - Picard breaking out of the Nexus fantasy when Kirk failed to do so. One is my hero and the other is Picard, but, while the two men have much in common, both being isolated and lonely men who want only a fast ship and a star to steer by to find Strange New Worlds -- Kirk, on a profound level, was looking, throughout the series, for The One, and when the Nexus gave both the love in their lives they deeply craved, Picard must have still wanted the fast ship more. Kirk was maybe ready to settle down at that stage of his life, and I'll let them have that one - I can't believe he'd be happy, exactly, living grounded in a Christopher Pike ranch fantasy, but having the love of his life asleep in the next room becoming more important, I'll buy.
(Protip: this is the harshest assessment I have for a TNG movie; I rather liked the next two and Nemesis sank so quickly I've never seen it and have no useful opinion except that if they were going to bring in a Picard clone, it should have been Locutus. That's a more winning approach on SO many levels.)
(Was it ever explained why insert evil villain couldn't have just flown a ship into the damn thing?)
Anyway, we really didn't get a good setup of the incredibly destructive thingy IS HEAVEN, NOR did the villain ever really threaten anything we are invested in, so he falls completely flat. Sure we're TOLD he's evil and gonna do evil and we end up on the top of a desolate desert mountain threatening...what?
(Was it ever explained why insert evil villain couldn't have just flown a ship into the damn thing?)
IIRC, Whoopi's character said something along the lines of the ship would start breaking up too soon and getting in would be chancy.QuoteAnyway, we really didn't get a good setup of the incredibly destructive thingy IS HEAVEN, NOR did the villain ever really threaten anything we are invested in, so he falls completely flat. Sure we're TOLD he's evil and gonna do evil and we end up on the top of a desolate desert mountain threatening...what?
It was going to destroy an inhabited planet further in. Being rather standard to "save the aliens" in ST, I was fine with that premise.
(Was it ever explained why insert evil villain couldn't have just flown a ship into the damn thing?)
IIRC, Whoopi's character said something along the lines of the ship would start breaking up too soon and getting in would be chancy.
[/quote]QuoteAnyway, we really didn't get a good setup of the incredibly destructive thingy IS HEAVEN, NOR did the villain ever really threaten anything we are invested in, so he falls completely flat. Sure we're TOLD he's evil and gonna do evil and we end up on the top of a desolate desert mountain threatening...what?
It was going to destroy an inhabited planet further in. Being rather standard to "save the aliens" in ST, I was fine with that premise.
Thanks!
Everytime I read a bad review on the internet, I wonder if people are unable to understand the movie, don't listen or just do something else while watching. And after, they come and say the movie was crap...
If you can't understand a movie, don't criticize it!
Wasn't Kirk pulled in off a ship though, and the ship weathered it remarkably well? (minus insert impressive technobabble damage) An OLD ship, mind. Or am I foggy braining it? If you say it was explained, I'll take your word. I watched it 20 years ago and can foggy brain portions. It wasn't a criticism it was a question.
I KNOW it was going to kill (insert impressively large number of people here) on random planet at some point later. My point is I'm not invested in those people as an audience. IIRC we don't even SEE those people, let alone develope FEELINGS for them. That's what I mean when I say we're TOLD he's going to be EVIL. We don't really get to SEE it. This is a trap Science Fiction gets into a lot, mind you. If you want us to CARE about (insert aliens here) we need to see it, not just be told we SHOULD care.
Or maybe I'm a cold hearted SOB.
Well, no maybe about that really.
I LIKE the whole destroy billions to get to heaven concept.
Should care is enough for me, for this franchise, since it's a goody-goody save all lives deal. I can definitely see how that might not be enough but I think showing them would drag out the plot and be difficult to do within time constraints of movies.
Also, it would also get dull if all the movies were save Earth all the time, the galaxy is large and all the bad things happening in a specific part of one solar system would start messing with suspension of disbelief.
Which picture got hotlinked above?
Brian Blessed isn't always bombastic. There are some excellent dramatic scenes in I, Claudius when he speaks in a normal tone of voice, very sincere, such as when he and Claudius have a frank discussion about Germanicus and Postumus....He was a bit too Brian Blessed for the part, even so - Augustus was a very somber man, careful of his dignity even in private, and Blessed made him seem frequently a bit ridiculous. -Not that that was a bad reading of I, Claudius, a book I've read many times, but not a good reading of the historical figure...
Unfortunately, that's the episode in which Livia kills him...
POOPING IS LOGICAL! tells the story of a young Vulcan child who, just like kids on Earth, is hesitant to make the leap out of diapers and onto the potty. Fortunately his parents, who are wise and loving, are on hand to help him through this transition and assure him that pooping on the potty is a perfectly natural, safe, and grown-up thing to do. In a society based on logic, what could be more logical than pooping?
Challenger, Columbia wreckage on public display for 1st time (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=16745.msg78723#msg78723)
(http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/V4JnpE59atFZEutNbdy3yw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTYwNDtpbD1wbGFuZTtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz05NjA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/b235bb8d22a3cd227d0f6a706700b936.jpg)
In this Tuesday, July 21, 2015 photo, the lunch box astronaut Michael P. Anderson used as a child are among his personal effects displayed in the "Forever Remembered" exhibit and memorial for the astronauts that perished on the Columbia and Challenger space shuttles, at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
My Grandpa. His stories WERE the lone ranger to me, much more than any TV. I KNEW the lone ranger rode down by his farm.I think that is an unusual version of Santa.
Just like Santa (his brother, my great uncle) Died in 1997. It wasn't till I was in my late teens that I learned the 'santa' mom always called was my Uncle Blaine. And he'd always just pull a story out of thin air. I distinctly recall the time she actually dialed one of the 900 numbers and got a recording. That weren't no santa!
edit: Ironically, Santa got me drunk at age 8, and I've never cared for a beer again...
'Star Trek' Fan Film Recruits Real-Life Astronaut Samantha Cristoforettihttp://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-fan-film-recruits-real-life-astronaut-111200274.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-fan-film-recruits-real-life-astronaut-111200274.html)
SPACE.com
By Elizabeth Howell 13 hours ago
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ytSUmj89YoxoONkU3qTNqA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM4MztweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz01NzU-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_US/News/SPACE.com/Star_Trek_Fan_Film_Recruits-d0a65184819c734ac5586048510fe146)
Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the record-holder for the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman, joined on as a cast member in the fan project "Star Trek: Axanar." In April, she tweeted this photo posing in the International Space Station
After spending 199 days on the International Space Station, a European astronaut is readying for her next big mission: joining an independent "Star Trek" production.
Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian astronaut for the European Space Agency, will join the fan-produced film "Star Trek: Axanar" in an as-yet-undisclosed role, film officials said in a blog post. Cristoforetti was the first Italian woman in space during the space station's Expeditions 42 and 43, which wrapped up in June.
The news comes as the production wrapped up a crowdfunding campaign that raised $487,076, nearly double the original goal of $250,000. Filming will begin in early 2016.
"Star Trek: Axanar" follows the story of Garth of Izar, a character who was introduced in the "Star Trek: The Original Series" episode "Whom Gods Destroy." Garth's story takes place about 21 years before the events of the first "Star Trek" episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
The new, full-length film will follow from a 20-minute crowdfunded prelude that was released last year. Stars in the feature-length film include Richard Hatch, Kate Vernon (both of "Battlestar: Galactica"), Gary Graham ("Star Trek: Enterprise") and Tony Todd ("Candyman", "Chuck", "24"). It is led by Executive Producer Alec Peters.
After a crowdfunding campaign last year on Kickstarter that raised more than $600,000, the filmmakers have decided to break the feature-length film into four episodes costing at least $250,000 each.
The base goal for the work is $1 million, but the filmmakers need at least $1.32 million in total to cover costs from using the crowdfunding site Indiegogo, which takes a cut of projects funded on its site, as well as "ongoing studio costs" and "payment processing," according to the Indiegogo page.
Cristoforetti wouldn't be the first astronaut to appear on Star Trek. In 1993, NASA astronaut Mae Jemison played a small role on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
I tried to warn you. :(This movie resulted in a net loss that approximately equals one and a half hours of my life :(.
I'm thinking of the multiple parallel Earths they found, including Miri's world. I'm thinking of the generic Native Americans in Paradise Syndrome who were transplanted so recently by the Preservers that Spock thought he recognized the tribes from across the lake. -Probably circa only 500 years ago, when Europeans introduced smallpox and were about to ruin everything for the natives. -It couldn't have been much longer back, and that supplies a motivation for a rescue transplant....That's a good novel's worth of story premise -or more- right there.
-The Preservers -who may or may not have any connection to Sargon's progenitor race, but it's a neater story if they do- were around, alive and active, THAT recently.
I'm thinking about humanoids, often indistinguishable from European-descended earthlings, everywhere. (It must annoy the living crap out of the Klingons and Romulans if the same holds in their territories.)
I'm thinking about Miri, from a world that not only looks like Earth -without clouds for some reason- who is running around, an immortal little girl already 100 years old right. now. in a city that looks like 50's US gone to seed.
I'm thinking about the Comm's father in Omega Glory -Captain Tracy certainly believed it hard enough to turn traitor and mass murderer- who is already 800 right. now. on a world that must have even had its own Thomas Jefferson to write that US Constitution somewhere in the neighborhood of over 1,000 years before we did.
We don't know what year it was on the Roman world -though it looked like 60's US, AD. 1,000 is possible, but it could be anytime a few hundred years after the western Empire fell on our world, to give them time to develop the tech- but it had a Jesus (or close enough) in its far past.
Some parallel world's histories were based on a model we hadn't gotten to yet.
Earth is not the original Earth, QED.
-And SOMEbody(s) very powerful, old and patient is clearly active out there -for more than a thousand years, at least, and until very recently, if not currently- with a deep interest in humans and (massive long-running) historical -or something- experiments.
(At least I think it is.)
Way back in junior high school, I started seriously studying astronomy and trying to learn stellar nomenclature. That meant, in part, learning the Greek alphabet. So I can recite it and write most of it (a couple of the letters are a bit squiggly for me). I don't know very many words and have no idea how to string any together to make a sentence, but at least I know how to say "thank you" in Greek (though my accent is probably atrocious).(At least I think it is.)
Ητ ης!
(It is!)
See, wasn't *that* hard, wasn't it? ;cute
..., but at least I know how to say "thank you" in Greek (though my accent is probably atrocious).
That's the word. :D..., but at least I know how to say "thank you" in Greek (though my accent is probably atrocious).
"Εφαριστω" by chance? At least, that's what I heard in Crete.
How ‘Star Trek’ Creator Gene Roddenberry Got ‘Kicked Upstairs’ And Off ‘Wrath Of Khan’Star Trek: The Motion Picture trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nkegWQe1ZM&feature=player_embedded#)
Uproxx
By Andrew Husband • 09.03.15
(https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/gene-roddenberry-star-trek-cast-space-shuttle-enterprise.jpg?w=650&h=375)
Getty Image
1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture is many things to many people — the first time these beloved characters ever appeared on the big screen, the beginning of the Star Trek movie universe, and the anti-Star Wars. However, it also marks the last significant contribution to the Star Trek movies by Gene Roddenberry, the man who first brought the idea of Star Trek to life in 1966. That’s because Paramount removed him from his supervisory role after the film’s box office numbers came back.
“Wait a minute,” you’re probably thinking. “Why would Paramount ditch the guy who created the property in the first place?” Money, for one thing, was definitely a major factor in the studio’s decision to oust the man much-beloved by science fiction fans at the time. Yet to truly understand the division between Roddenberry and studio executives, we have to dig a little deeper into the complex muck that was and will always be attached to Star Trek.
From Cancellation…
After running for three seasons on network television, including a third and final stretch lobbied for by a now-famous letter-writing campaign, NBC finally axed Star Trek and sent all 79 episodes into syndication, otherwise known as TV’s retirement home. Such was to be the final nail in the coffin in which Roddenberry’s creation would be buried. However, the writer had grander plans for his show, and fans new and old were about to make them a reality.
That’s because Star Trek thrived in syndication, where it quickly developed a cult following among science fiction fanatics and lay audiences alike. Paramount noticed the growing interest and, along with Roddenberry’s involvement, announced plans for a Star Trek film adaptation in 1975. Filming would begin on July 15, 1976, Roddenberry would produce, and most of the original series’ cast could be involved.
Unfortunately, the announced date came and went, and Paramount had nothing to show for it. That’s because — despite everyone’s enthusiasm for the project — the studio executives, Roddenberry, and several other writers brought on board the film couldn’t agree on a story. As the November 1976 issue of Starlog notes, the scripts contained ideas that were just too complex:
“The first script,” Roddenberry recently explained, “was a story that dealt with the meaning of God. What I think bothered Paramount was that I had a little sequence on Vulcan in which the Vulcan masters, the people Spock studied under, were saying: ‘We have never really understood your Earth legends of gods. Particularly in that so many of your gods have said, “You have to bow down on your bellies every seven days and worship me.” This seems to us like they are very insecure gods.'”
The story, known as Star Trek: The God Thing, contained too many complicated and possibly controversial ideas, so Paramount rejected it and asked for another. (It later became the basis for Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.) Many other well-known science fiction writers with ties to Star Trek, including Harlan Ellison and Ray Bradbury, submitted scripts, story treatments and outlines to Roddenberry and the studio. All were scrapped.
…to Phase II
Following the stellar success of Star Wars in 1977, Paramount decided to pull the plug on the Star Trek film adaptation. The ongoing script issues proved too difficult to overcome, and with the blockbuster status of another studio’s brand new science fiction/fantasy property out in the open, executives decided not to compete. However, Roddenberry wasn’t finished, so he announced the return of Star Trek to television with a brand new series.
Tentatively titled Star Trek: Phase II, Roddenberry claimed that — per a “verbal agreement” with the studio — the beloved property would return to its serial roots with a show that would supposedly reinvent the original series. “Hopefully it will be even superior,” he told the Associated Press at the time. Despite the distinction, Roddenberry assured fans that Phase II would include “as many of the old faces as possible, as well as an infusion of new ones.”
Roddenberry and Paramount Television’s announcement also included plans for a “fourth network” to compete with ABC, CBS and NBC — the “Paramount television service.” It would air programming one night a week and would be carried by independent stations interested in its content, though Star Trek provided the main appeal according to Roddenberry:
“It seems [Paramount] said, ‘Instead of gambling on high grosses on a motion picture, why not gamble Star Trek on something that could conceivably be ten or a hundred times more profitable than even a hit movie?’ — which is the kind of money involved if they are successful in starting the fourth network. So the final thing that got Star Trek movie cancelled was the realization that Paramount could use Star Trek as bait, as a leading sales item for a new television network.”
Yet as soon as the announcement for Phase II had circulated through the press, Paramount pulled the plug on its network-building foray and decided to pump some new life into the then-abandoned plans for a film adaptation.
Back to the Movies
On March 28, 1978, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was announced in what at the time was the largest press conference ever held by Paramount Studios. The script was based on the one written for Phase II‘s pilot episode, “In Thy Image,” and would feature many of the same plot points and characters as the abandoned second series. Academy Award-winning director Robert Wise would helm the production, based on a story devised by Alan Dean Foster and a screenplay written by Howard Livingston. Roddenberry remained on as producer, a move that ultimately cost him his spot in the production of future Star Trek films.Wrath of Khan trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOIYaRb6XpQ&feature=player_embedded#)
That’s because, despite what he did for the original series, the first attempt to make a movie, and the scrapped Phase II revival, Roddenberry demanded what executives thought was too much control. Although Foster wrote the initial treatment of “In Thy Image,” which was revised as a teleplay by Livingston, Roddenberry wanted sole writing credit for the film. He didn’t get it, but he stayed on as producer per his contract with Paramount, and constantly provided notes throughout the film’s production.
“In his original Star Trek concept, there wasn’t any conflict,” Nicholas Meyer, the director of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, explained in a 2011 interview. “So he always had problems with writers who were trying to write conflict, because that’s what drama is.”
Star Trek: The Motion Picture earned $82 million domestically for a $139 million worldwide gross, making it one of the top-earning Star Trek films of all time when adjusted for inflation. However, according to Terry Lee Rioux, DeForest Kelley’s biographer, the film’s total budget came in at a whopping $46 million — a far cry from the $5 million the studio had originally given Roddenberry. Paramount expected more from the movie, so when the numbers didn’t add up, they added it to the Roddenberry blame pile.
The Wrath of Roddenberry
This pile became too heavy to add to during pre-production for Wrath of Khan, when Roddenberry’s desire to control all aspects of the film finally came to a head. By this point, he’d already been kicked out of the top spot and replaced by Harve Bennett. Or, as William Shatner puts it in Star Trek Movie Memories, “kicked upstairs” to a rather comfortable top consulting post. So he “resorted to underhanded tactics while happily collecting his paychecks” instead.http://uproxx.com/gammasquad/2015/09/star-trek-gene-roddenberry-falling-out/4/ (http://uproxx.com/gammasquad/2015/09/star-trek-gene-roddenberry-falling-out/4/)
One such tactic allegedly included a script leak revealing the death of Spock, a spoiler that enraged fans. Many initially blamed Leonard Nimoy, who by then was already famous for distancing himself from the franchise with his book I Am Not Spock and other creative endeavors. Yet many at Paramount suspected Roddenberry’s doing, though he would deny these accusations. Nichelle Nichols even made a point of defending Roddenberry from such claims in her book, Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories.
Meyer, whom Paramount brought on to direct Wrath of Khan, came to an understanding with Roddenberry throughout the film’s production. The young filmmaker wasn’t able to speak with the consultant that often, which Paramount preferred, but he tried:
“[He] didn’t like The Wrath of Khan — well, it was then called The Undiscovered Country. He didn’t like that script any better than he liked the script for Star Trek VI. But the exchange of letters at least shows that I was trying to be more accommodating and tactful, and — more calmly argumentative than I was on VI — when I just didn’t behave well. I was just… had too much on my plate, I guess.”
Still, in a Los Angeles Times article that went viral in 2011, Meyer expressed his regrets about the whole affair — both in terms of how he and the studio treated Roddenberry, and his lackluster relationship with the Star Trek creator during a rather combative episode while making The Undiscovered Country:
“His guys were lined up on one side of the room, and my guys were lined up on the other side of the room, and this was not a meeting in which I felt I’d behaved very well, very diplomatically,” Meyer said. “I came out of it feeling not very good, and I’ve not felt good about it ever since. He was not well, and maybe there were more tactful ways of dealing with it, because at the end of the day, I was going to go out and make the movie. I didn’t have to take him on. Not my finest hour.”
For despite being “kicked upstairs” within the Star Trek hierarchy, Roddenberry — the man responsible for bringing this world to life in the first place — was never really allowed to have a say in what happened after Star Trek: The Motion Picture failed to garner Paramount the Star Wars-like success they had anticipated. He was merely a representative figure, a man whom the fans adored immensely, and someone whose ideas for the thing that he created didn’t quite match the ideas of the series’ corporate masters.
Which con footage? That talk -sans comb-over or rug- I posted something like six months ago? I saw him looking puffy and old in person at cons in person over 30 years ago.If I knew how to post YouTube videos here, I could show you the exact scene in which Data is escorting McCoy around the Enterprise-D and they mention his age: 137 years.
I think I already addressed everything you bring up, though I would have sworn McCoy was only 105-111 (something like that, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't stated onscreen, so all non-canon bullcrap anyway).
Okay, I didn't mention that McCoy had roughly twenty years on Chekov -they never said how old anyone was onscreen, so I'm going by appearances- to begin with because none of us are stupid. No need to talk to me like I am; Farpoint came out in 1987(6?), and since the actors aged as the various series ran and this is set a while after Voyager -- so assuming 28 years since TNG began can't be too far off, and I was figuring that into my remarks about age. Forgive me if I don't always waste time showing my calculations.Where did I talk to you like you're stupid? That's uncalled-for.
STAR TREK: RENEGADES – Not So Rebellious
Movie Review, Movies, Reviews, TV, Web Series
scifi4me.com
August 7, 2015 , by Angie Fiedler Sutton
(http://i0.wp.com/SciFi4Me.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Featured_StarTrekRenegades.jpg?resize=665%2C365)
Star Trek: Renegades starts off right in the middle of the story. The only problem for me is that the last (non-Abrams’ universe) Star Trek I really paid attention to was Enterprise. That means I got a little lost as to what’s going on, and it feels like a sequel to a film I never saw.
The basic plot is described as The Dirty Dozen in a Trek universe. Set ten years after Voyager‘s return, we start out with the news that dilithium crystals are disappearing. On top of that, there is some sort of device that’s causing space and time to fold around planets, isolating them. Suspecting a conspiracy that may involve the Federation, Admiral Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) turns to the current head of the newly reorganized Section 31, Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ). He, in turn, recruits Lexxa Singh (Adrienne Wilkinson) and her crew of people on the run from the Federation for various reasons.
As stated in the prior article, Renegades is a television pilot geared for potential online purposes that was funded via crowdfunding sites Kickstarter and Indiegogo. And while the intentions are good, the actual execution of it doesn’t quite work. The special effects (both visual and makeup) are what you expect from a low budget, with fairly obvious computer graphics filling out the backgrounds and aliens that have so much makeup that you can’t see mouths move when they talk. The acting, while well intentioned, tends to go for melodrama as opposed to drama much of the time. There are too many characters, which means there are too many storylines, and both get sacrificed all too often for the sake of the action. It’s not bad, but it comes across like a low production film that just happened to be able to snag some well-known actors into it. It could be so much better.
Wilkinson’s character is the stereotype of the ‘strong female character’, which boils down to a female character that acts like a man, with rape threats being part of her history and her kicking ass and taking names. The bad guy is a walking, talking stereotype that doesn’t really go beyond ‘I want to be bad’. There’s a lesbian kiss, true – which LGBT representation is something that’s been danced around but never quite got in the onscreen Trek universe – but it’s more for the sake of titillation than representation. The action scenes seem disjointed, and since it is a pilot, there are a lot of loose ends.
One of the quotes from the production is “always be true to yourself, and the rest will follow.” Star Trek is recognized for being a ground-breaking franchise in terms of civil rights for minorities. The basic plot and characters have a lot of potential. However, it’s another attempt to make Trek gritty a la Firefly or the rebooted Battlestar Galactica, and it doesn’t quite work. The end product doesn’t feel like Trek.
Since it’s a pilot, I can only hope that if it goes to series, it will learn and grow. Star Trek: Renegades may be trying to go where no other series has gone before, but it has light years to get there. For more information about the production, visit the Star Trek: Renegades website (http://startrekrenegades.com/home/).
I bristle a little sometimes at the assumption that you have to explain all this to me like I don't know my Trek. I usually let it pass, but you may have noticed that I'm a little testy of late - seems like a lot of that going around, making me feel a little defensive.
They took Joanna out of Way to Eden from a wrong-headed wish to not make McCoy that much older - and Dorothy Fontana took her name off the script, what with the heart ripped out of Joanna to make a worse-than-usual episode. But I have eyes, and no way was McCoy in his thirties; that's wrong for the character anyway, he being a cranky old man in a cranky middle-aged man's body.
Take the 's' out of https when you paste a URL - dunno why, but then it'll embed. The 's' is something to do with web security.
Not bad, but unfinished...What a repetitious mess. Not in the least bit inspiring, which likely is the reason I forgot it.
William Shatner responds after Ted Cruz says Captain Kirk was likely a Republicanhttp://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/26/william-shatner-ted-cruz-captain-kirk-republican (http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/26/william-shatner-ted-cruz-captain-kirk-republican)
Entertainment Weekly
by Jessica Derschowitz • @jessicasara • Posted July 26 2015 — 2:37 PM EDT
(http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/i/2015/07/26/star-trek-capt-kirk.jpg)
Star Trek (TV Show - 1966) (Everett Collection)
William Shatner has weighed in on Ted Cruz’s theory about his Star Trek character’s political leanings.
In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, the Republican presidential candidate and Star Trek fan said he prefers Shatner’s Captain Kirk over Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard.
Cruz called Picard a “complete captain” and added, “If you look at Star Trek: The Next Generation, it basically split James T. Kirk into two people. Picard was Kirk’s rational side, and William Riker was his passionate side.”
“The original Star Trek was grittier,” he said. “Kirk is working class; Picard is an aristocrat. Kirk is a passionate fighter for justice; Picard is a cerebral philosopher.”
When asked where he thinks Kirk stands politically, Cruz replied, “I think it is quite likely that Kirk is a Republican and Picard is a Democrat.”
Shatner responded to Cruz’s comments this week on Twitter, saying that Star Trek “wasn’t political.”
“Star Trek wasn’t political. I’m not political; I can’t even vote in the US,” he wrote. “So to put a geocentric label on interstellar characters is silly.”
I agree -- "Renegades" featured a really good version of Chekov. Thank goodness. This production needed a "B plot" that could hold your attention. The production values were good, but the script was pretty weak. For example, you'd notice if your crewmate was a hologram, wouldn't you? Pretty quickly, right?
I kept thinking "If I'd read the book, this might make more sense..." Except there's no book.
Low expectations going in are definitely helping me enjoy this - I expected to hate every second, so when they get something right, it's a delight. The acting is bad and it doesn't seem to be about anything interesting, but if you can get past Chekov's relative youth, they're getting him right. -I only expected a five-minute cameo in the setup, but this is a substantial part. This is something like the fellow he was supposed to grow up to be, and didn't get to in the movies. Level-headed and experienced, confident, capable - hasn't been tortured and/or screamed any yet.I'm not convinced anyone but me has read the whole live review I spent hours on...
-He has a model of the real Enterprise in his office. None of that &^%$#@! movie crap, either. The callbacks to real Star Trek would be easy to blow by overdoing, but they're hitting it just right.
Persons inexplicably enamored of the little [censored] have to give this turkey of a movie a watch - remember to go in knowing it sucks and everyone hates it, and you'll enjoy as of halfway through...
Mylochka says that I have an excellent memory for music. -I have a bunch of scores from old-standard musicals I was in nearly 40 years ago stored in my bean, though, like you say, getting very weak on the lyrics.I think you mean Judas, since Lazarus wasn't even mentioned other than obliquely in a line during the King Herod scene, and not even by name. ;)
Was in a production of JCS in 1987 as a disciple. I used to be able to do Mary's songs in a very credible soprano, before renfairs ruined my falsetto. I LOVE THAT SCORE. (The book doesn't display a great grasp of Jesus, but it's really a story about Lazarus, anyway.)
I'm not convinced anyone but me has read the whole live review I spent hours on...I know you keep tabs on who's been here and when, but the truth is that just because I've been here, it doesn't mean I've really been able to properly pay attention.
I can't beLIEVE I did that.Mylochka says that I have an excellent memory for music. -I have a bunch of scores from old-standard musicals I was in nearly 40 years ago stored in my bean, though, like you say, getting very weak on the lyrics.I think you mean Judas, since Lazarus wasn't even mentioned other than obliquely in a line during the King Herod scene, and not even by name. ;)
Was in a production of JCS in 1987 as a disciple. I used to be able to do Mary's songs in a very credible soprano, before renfairs ruined my falsetto. I LOVE THAT SCORE. (The book doesn't display a great grasp of Jesus, but it's really a story about Lazarus, anyway.)
QuoteWilliam Shatner responds after Ted Cruz says Captain Kirk was likely a Republican
FWIW, at least Cruz is a Trek fan - he's engaging in wishful thinking, but Shatner's opinion isn't worth as much as that.
Star Trek was incredibly political in the Swiftian mode, but I wouldn't expect either gentleman to know that.
Star Trek was incredibly political in the Swiftian mode, but I wouldn't expect either gentleman to know that.
;notes; JUST don't SAY I'm/TYpoed for ALL time! ;notes;And I just heard that in my mind in Roy Kanhai's voice. He was a wonderful singer. I learned last year that he died a few years back. Several of the people I knew from that production have died over the years.
I hate to agree with Ted Cruz on anything, but I could see Kirk as being the 23rd c version of a Republican. He's got to be pretty strong on defense and military spending, at least... And he does have the reputation of being a bit of a Herbert at times...None of the real Star Trek people were SF fans, let alone Star Trek fans, except Dorothy Fontana, to be fair to Shatner. Cruz is either an actual fan or had someone who is writing those remarks for him, I'm satisfied. -But I doubt he'd exactly read The Making of Star Trek twice before he turned 10. You don't hear even really hardcore fandom fans talking about the Jonathan Swift politics-by-secret-allegory aspect much, do you?
Times change and perspectives change with them. Imagine how liberal today's Republicans would look to the conservatives of Andrew Jackson's days.
But yeah, Shatner's wrong. Star Trek was pretty overtly political and would have been moreso if the censors would have allowed.QuoteWilliam Shatner responds after Ted Cruz says Captain Kirk was likely a Republican
FWIW, at least Cruz is a Trek fan - he's engaging in wishful thinking, but Shatner's opinion isn't worth as much as that.
Star Trek was incredibly political in the Swiftian mode, but I wouldn't expect either gentleman to know that.
[shrugs] A hard-right guy like Cruz would have a tough time knowing and staying a fan - Star Trek was stridently liberal.QuoteStar Trek was incredibly political in the Swiftian mode, but I wouldn't expect either gentleman to know that.
It reminds me of Galaxy Quest when the one guy turns to them and says "didn't any of you actually watch the show?"
...It looks like a cell in the opening. I can't understand what she's mumbling -although it appears to be the same as the poem or what ever she's writing on the blackboard? in her cell- and what she's wearing both looks like a costume -instead of clothes- and too much like a Xena look, considering who's wearing it. Shot so I was distracted trying to read whatever she was writing in chalk.
Not a promising beginning, for all that I'm nitpicking really harshly...
They sorta blew the SFX on the planet being destroyed.
I thought those aliens were armored Klingons at first, 'cause I'd have sworn some of them were carrying bat'leths. -Which would be lame in multiple ways.
This speaks to what's at the heart of what's wrong with this flick -which I knew over a year ago from the first trailer- real Star Trek isn't dark; it's day-glo and optimistic. More than a teeny bit of flirting with dark is fundamentally off-model, a mistake they made a lot in fake Trek from the latter seasons of DS9 on.
Bias going in duly disclosed; more after lunch...
(I did like the domed tanks in the establishing shot of the dilithium facility. Got that one right. ;b; [I just had to add 'dilithium' to the dictionary on my stupid mundane spellcheck.])
A.) Walter Koenig should have just let the bald out 30 years ago. -He was already combing his hair forward from the back in the early 80's -which looked grotesque and pathetic up close- when it was already too late to still pull off a young prettyboy look. He's had Shatner disease for a long time, and MAJOR + points for getting him to be bald and somewhat old on screen, a look that suits him better.
What's with the lame pseudo-movie era pseudo-retro uniforms?
That was Gods and Men -which sucked SO hard despite some good moments- also a Tuvok production.
I agree. Admiral Chekov is an adorable old man. Looks much better bald than he did in that weird wig they had him wearing in the last fan movie he was in.
A.) Walter Koenig should have just let the bald out 30 years ago. -He was already combing his hair forward from the back in the early 80's -which looked grotesque and pathetic up close- when it was already too late to still pull off a young prettyboy look. He's had Shatner disease for a long time, and MAJOR + points for getting him to be bald and somewhat old on screen, a look that suits him better.
...It took me until they showed her in extreme closeup -making out with a hologram- to clock Sean Young. Oh, how the mighty have fallen...
That was Gods and Men -which sucked SO hard despite some good moments- also a Tuvok production.
I agree. Admiral Chekov is an adorable old man. Looks much better bald than he did in that weird wig they had him wearing in the last fan movie he was in.
A.) Walter Koenig should have just let the bald out 30 years ago. -He was already combing his hair forward from the back in the early 80's -which looked grotesque and pathetic up close- when it was already too late to still pull off a young prettyboy look. He's had Shatner disease for a long time, and MAJOR + points for getting him to be bald and somewhat old on screen, a look that suits him better.
Pity; it was a MUCH better premise than Renegades, and you did believe Charlie Evans could give Gary Mitchell a fight. Nichelle Nichols, alas, showed up either drunk or senile, and her part desperately needed cutting by a good 66.6%. It was terrible use of Chekov, maintaining a 45-year string of terrible misuses of Chekov.
I was wrong about them blowing the SPX on the planet destruction - I thought it was a crapped-up explosion/implosion or something, when it was actually a plot point. That's largely a failure on their part, even so...
BTW? It's never impossible to communicate when your ship is covered with working running lights...
I think I missed about five minutes of dialogue while I sat there tilting my head and saying, "Is that Sean Young? Really? Sean Young? Man, she did really piss some folks off..."Maybe, like Kirk, she's allergic to Retinax-5.
Why the glasses? Are future folks just not interested in curing eye problems?
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=16649.0;attach=16538;image)
Valka, I've got something else on Facebook I'd like to see shared around...
???I was laughing at your post above and I decided to highlight a concept from a Star Trek: Voyager episode.
(http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=16649.0;attach=16538;image)
Valka, I've got something else on Facebook I'd like to see shared around...
'Star Trek: Voyager' Actress Arrested for Exposing Breasts, Butt To Young KidsStar Trek Voyager - Respect (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EASb1XYOtE&feature=player_embedded#)
TMZ
9/15/2015 1:57 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
"Star Trek: Voyager" actress Jennifer Lien is behind bars after cops arrested her for allegedly exposing herself to 3 kids under 13.
We've learned 2 weeks ago Lien was at her Tennessee home when she got in an argument with her neighbor outside her house. She was angry that a small child was crying over a cut foot.
Lien allegedly exposed her breasts and rear end to the 3 neighbor kids. Cops took a report and Lien denied exposing herself. But they didn't believe her and got a warrant for her arrest.
When cops went to Lien's house to arrest her she didn't go down without a fight. Cops say she refused to put clothes on, was carried to the police car and threatened to have them shot and killed.
Lien, who played Kes during the first three seasons of "Star Trek: Voyager" has been in jail since her arrest Sept. 3. Her bond is set at $2,500.
:oQuote'Star Trek: Voyager' Actress Arrested for Exposing Breasts, Butt To Young KidsStar Trek Voyager - Respect (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EASb1XYOtE&feature=player_embedded#)
TMZ
9/15/2015 1:57 PM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
"Star Trek: Voyager" actress Jennifer Lien is behind bars after cops arrested her for allegedly exposing herself to 3 kids under 13.
We've learned 2 weeks ago Lien was at her Tennessee home when she got in an argument with her neighbor outside her house. She was angry that a small child was crying over a cut foot.
Lien allegedly exposed her breasts and rear end to the 3 neighbor kids. Cops took a report and Lien denied exposing herself. But they didn't believe her and got a warrant for her arrest.
When cops went to Lien's house to arrest her she didn't go down without a fight. Cops say she refused to put clothes on, was carried to the police car and threatened to have them shot and killed.
Lien, who played Kes during the first three seasons of "Star Trek: Voyager" has been in jail since her arrest Sept. 3. Her bond is set at $2,500.
Read more: http://www.tmz.com/2015/09/15/star-trek-voyager-actress-jennifer-lien-arrested-exposing-herself-kids-mug-shot/#ixzz3lqnXpuVk (http://www.tmz.com/2015/09/15/star-trek-voyager-actress-jennifer-lien-arrested-exposing-herself-kids-mug-shot/#ixzz3lqnXpuVk)
I can't bear to post the mugshot...
Star Trek Beyond: Paramount Pushes Back Release Date of Upcoming Movie to July 22, 2016Rumor has it that the Beyonder was committed to Marvel Studios, Buzz Lightyear wouldn't even return their calls, and then Beyond bailed and wouldn't loop lines in post.
-I'd still like to sentence everyone who ever said Star Trek's special effects -only 12 years later- or ANYthing about it were "cheesey" to having to watch the entire run of this for a sense of perspective/historical context. ST makes this show look like a kindergarten play.-Word to the wise... Embedding an episode of this or Captain Video, or Rocky Jones: Space Ranger is a devastating reply to kids and fools who say that "cheesey" crap like it means anything but that they're ignorant...
Star Trek Eye of the Tempest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fILyMG7b-Pk#)Only just now getting around to watching this.
the ships are too agile, which gives no sense of weight.
...Who thought Klingon ships fire their disruptors from the nacelles?
Bruce Hyde Early sci-fi actor, St. Cloud educatorhttp://www.startribune.com/actor-director-bruce-hyde-who-appeared-in-early-star-trek-episodes-dies-in-st-cloud-at-74/333294511/ (http://www.startribune.com/actor-director-bruce-hyde-who-appeared-in-early-star-trek-episodes-dies-in-st-cloud-at-74/333294511/)
By Graydon Royce Star Tribune October 17, 2015 — 4:35pm
(http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/brucehyde-2004.JPG)
St. Cloud actor Bruce Hyde posed next to a projection of his appearance on the classic 1960s "Star Trek" TV series to mark the release of the episode on DVD in 2004. Randy Salas, Star Tribune
Bruce Hyde, whose acting career took him from the original “Star Trek” series to summer stock in northern Minnesota to small stages in the Twin Cities, died Tuesday at 74. Hyde had suffered from throat cancer and was in hospice near St. Cloud.
Hyde had chaired the department of theater, film studies and dance at St. Cloud State University for more than 20 years before he had to step down this year. He also was one of the artistic directors at L’Homme Dieu Theater in Alexandria when St. Cloud State oversaw that summer stock operation.
It was his work on “Star Trek” that always wowed local actors who worked with Hyde.
“He never made a big deal about it,” said actor-director Zach Curtis. “He was like, ‘Yeah, I did that.’ We were the people who made a big deal about him. He talked about it as an experience that got him to where he was now.”
Hyde, a Dallas native, played Lt. Kevin Riley on two early episodes of “Star Trek” that remain fan favorites: “The Naked Time” and “The Conscience of the King.” He thought little of it at the time because no one could fathom what a cultural phenomenon the series would become.
“They were good parts,” he said in a 2004 interview. “I just liked the experience of working for a paycheck.”
(http://stmedia.startribune.com/images/PX00011_9.JPG)
Bruce Hyde as Willie Loman in "Death of a Salesman" in 2006.
It wasn’t until several years later, reading about a New York convention dedicated to “Star Trek” that he realized “how big it was.” He appeared at a few conventions and even sang “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen,” which he had done in one of the episodes to great acclaim.
“Of all the TV shows I could have done in the ’60s, how many would still have this following?” he said in 2004. “I feel privileged to be a part of it.”
Hyde also did guest spots on “That Girl” and “The Beverly Hillbillies” and then did “Canterbury Tales” on Broadway. He performed with a San Francisco production of “Hair” and then dropped out of acting for a decade.
Hyde started at St. Cloud State in 1990 and first achieved critical notice as an actor on the Twin Cities stage about a decade later for his smart and focused performance as a British agent in a production at Theatre in the Round. He continued with a performance as Willy Loman in Starting Gate Production’s staging of “Death of a Salesman” that remains one of the best takes on Arthur Miller’s iconic character ever to grace a local stage. Other notable performances included “12 Angry Men,” “The Rainmaker” and “Of Mice and Men.”
“He was so effortless,” said Curtis, who directed Hyde frequently and also acted with him.
Indeed, he appeared that way, but Curtis noted that Hyde would carry roles with him throughout the run of a show.
“I always felt sorry for Susan [Saetre, his wife of 20 years] when he had a bad-guy character because he lived that at home,” Curtis said.
Hyde received his cancer diagnosis several years ago and had recovered to the point where friends and family felt he was in the clear, Curtis said. The disease returned this year. Throughout his ordeal, Hyde supported theatrical productions with his presence.
“Every time he saw a show, he would stay afterward and talk to everyone,” Curtis said. “When we did ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ up in St. Cloud, Susan told me afterward that he hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time.”
Hyde is survived by Saetre, two stepchildren, a granddaughter and a sister and brother-in-law. A private service is being planned.
The Politics of Star Trekhttp://www.claremont.org/crb/article/the-politics-of-star-trek/ (http://www.claremont.org/crb/article/the-politics-of-star-trek/)
By: Timothy Sandefur Posted: August 25, 2015 This article appeared in: Volume XV, Number 3
(http://www.claremont.org/img/crbarticle/14283288star-trek.JPG)
Leonard Nimoy’s death in February brought to a close his unusual career continually playing a single role for half a century. Between 1966, when the television show Star Trek premiered, and 2013, when the movie Star Trek Into Darkness hit the screens, Nimoy portrayed the franchise’s beloved first officer, Mr. Spock, in two TV series and eight films.
As he acknowledged, the key to Star Trek’s longevity and cultural penetration was its seriousness of purpose, originally inspired by creator Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction vision. Modeled on Gulliver’s Travels, the series was meant as an opportunity for social commentary, and it succeeded ingeniously, with episodes scripted by some of the era’s finest science fiction writers. Yet the development of Star Trek’s moral and political tone over 50 years also traces the strange decline of American liberalism since the Kennedy era.
Captain Kirk and the Cold War
Roddenberry and his colleagues were World War II veterans, whose country was now fighting the Cold War against a Communist aggressor they regarded with horror. They considered the Western democracies the only force holding back worldwide totalitarian dictatorship. The best expression of their spirit was John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, with its proud promise to “pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.”
This could have been declaimed by Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner), of the starship U.S.S. Enterprise, who, as literature professor Paul Cantor observes in his essay “Shakespeare in the Original Klingon,” is “a Cold Warrior very much on the model of JFK.” In episodes like “The Omega Glory,” in which Kirk rapturously quotes the preamble to the Constitution, or “Friday’s Child,” where he struggles to outwit the Klingons (stand-ins for the Soviet menace) in negotiations over the resources of a planet modeled on Middle Eastern petroleum states, Kirk stands fixedly, even obstinately, for the principles of universal freedom and against collectivism, ignorance, and passivity. In “Errand of Mercy,” the episode that first introduces the show’s most infamous villains, he cannot comprehend why the placid Organians are willing to let themselves be enslaved by the Klingon Empire. Their pacifism disgusts him. Kirk loves peace, but he recognizes that peace without freedom is not truly peace.
This was not just a political point; it rested on a deeper philosophical commitment. In Star Trek’s humanist vision, totalitarianism was only one manifestation of the dehumanizing forces that deprive mankind (and aliens) of the opportunities and challenges in which their existence finds meaning. In “Return of the Archons,” for example, Kirk and company infiltrate a theocratic world monitored and dominated by the god Landru. The natives are placid, but theirs is the mindless placidity of cattle. In the past, one explains, “there was war. Convulsions. The world was destroying itself. Landru…took us back, back to a simple time.” The people now live in ignorant, stagnant bliss. Landru has removed conflict by depriving them of responsibility, and with it their right to govern themselves. When Kirk discovers that Landru is actually an ancient computer left behind by an extinct race, he challenges it to justify its enslavement of the people. “The good,” it answers, is “harmonious continuation…peace, tranquility.” Kirk retorts: “What have you done to do justice to the full potential of every individual? Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.” He persuades Landru that coddling the people has stifled the souls it purported to defend, and the god-machine self-destructs.
This theme is made more explicit in “The Apple,” perhaps the quintessential episode of the original Star Trek. Here Kirk unashamedly violates the “Prime Directive”—the rule forbidding starship captains from interfering with the cultures they contact—by ordering the Enterprise to destroy Vaal, another computer tyrant ruling over an idyllic planet. Like Landru, Vaal is an omniscient totalitarian, and he demands sacrifices. The natives, known only as “people of Vaal,” have no culture, no freedom, no science—they do not even know how to farm—and no children, as Vaal has forbidden sex along with all other individualistic impulses. This sets Kirk’s teeth on edge. There are objective goods and evils, and slavery is evil because it deprives life forms of their right to self-government and self-development.
What differentiates “The Apple” from “Archons” is Spock’s reaction. In the earlier episode, he joined Kirk in condemning Landru; now the half human/half Vulcan is reluctant to interfere with what he calls “a splendid example of reciprocity.” When chief medical officer Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) protests, Spock accuses him of “applying human standards to non-human cultures.” To this cool relativism, McCoy replies, “There are certain absolutes, Mr. Spock, and one of them is the right of humanoids to a free and unchained environment, the right to have conditions which permit growth.”
Kirk agrees with McCoy. Spock—who in later episodes invokes the Vulcan slogan celebrating “infinite diversity in infinite combinations”—is comfortable observing Vaal’s servants nonjudgmentally, like specimens behind glass. But Kirk believes there must be deeper, universal principles underlying and limiting diversity, to prevent its degeneration into relativism and nihilism.
Spock’s Hesitation
This is an insight Kirk shares with Abraham Lincoln, who—as we learn in a later episode—is Kirk’s personal hero. When in 1858 Stephen Douglas claimed to be so committed to democracy that he did not care whether American states and territories adopted pro- or anti-slavery constitutions, Lincoln parodied his relativism as meaning “that if one man would enslave another, no third man should object.” Instead, Lincoln insisted, the basis of legitimate democracy was the principle of equality articulated in the Declaration of Independence. Without that frame firmly in place, democracy could claim no moral superiority to tyranny. Spock, by regarding this as a merely “human standard,” and defending Vaal’s suzerainty as “a system which seems to work,” falls into the same relativistic trap as Douglas. By contrast, as Paul Cantor notes, Kirk believes “that all rational beings are created equal,” and extends the Declaration’s proposition “literally throughout the universe.” Kirk orders the Enterprise to destroy Vaal. “You’ll learn to care for yourselves,” he tells the people. “You’ll learn to build for yourselves, think for yourselves, work for yourselves, and what you create is yours. That’s what we call freedom.”
Spock’s hesitation here is an early glimmer of the relativism that would eventually engulf the Star Trek universe. Roddenberry’s generation emerged from World War II committed to a liberalism that believed in prosperity, technological progress, and the universal humanity they hoped the United Nations would champion. In the Kennedy years, this technocratic liberalism sought to apply science, the welfare state, and secular culture to raise the standard of living and foster individual happiness worldwide. Then came the rise of the New Left—a movement that saw the alleged evils of society as the consequence not merely of capitalism but of technology and reason itself. Civilization was not the perfection of nature or even a protection against nature, but an alienation from nature. Throw off its shackles, and man could reunite with the universe; unfairness would fall away, and peaceful coexistence would reign. “Peaceful coexistence” was especially crucial. The war in Vietnam and other crises helped foster a debunking culture that saw American principles of justice as a sham, as cynical rationalizations for American greed, racism, and imperialism. The older generation of liberals—and their literary proxies, including Captain Kirk—hardly knew what to make of it, or of the “turn on, tune in, drop out” escapism that often accompanied it.
The original Star Trek savagely parodied such Age of Aquarius romanticism in the episode “The Way to Eden,” in which the Enterprise encounters a group of space-age hippies searching for a legendary planet where all will be equal, without technology or modernity, living off the land. Almost all of Kirk’s crew regard these star-children as deluded, and their longing for prelapsarian harmony does turn out to be a deadly illusion: the Eden planet they find is literally poison—all the trees and even the grass are full of an acid that kills them almost the instant they arrive. Kirk is hardly surprised. All Edens, in his eyes, are illusions, and all illusions are dangerous.
Spock is more indulgent. “There are many who are uncomfortable with what we have created,” he tells the captain, “the planned communities, the programming, the sterilized, artfully balanced atmospheres.” Spock insists he does not share their views, yet he secretly admires them, and devotes his considerable scientific skills to helping locate their paradise planet. Later he tells one of the few survivors of the acid, “It is my sincere wish that you do not give up your search for Eden. I have no doubt but that you will find it, or make it yourselves.” The skeptical, spirited Kirk could never utter such words.
Tale of Two Hamlets
Kirk, it turns out, has personal reasons for his skepticism. In “The Conscience of the King,” we learn that he is something of a Holocaust survivor himself. When he was young, he and his parents barely escaped death at the hands of the dictator Kodos the Executioner, who slaughtered half the population of the colony on Tarsus IV. Having eluded capture, Kodos lived 20 years under an assumed name, making a living as a Shakespearean actor, until one of Kirk’s fellow survivors tracks him down. Now Kirk must decide whether the actor is really the killer.
Aired in 1966, this episode is a commentary on the pursuit of Nazi war criminals, and it typifies the original Star Trek’s moral outlook. During the show’s three seasons, over 20 former Nazis were tried for their roles in the Holocaust, including five who only two weeks after this episode aired were convicted for working at the Sobibór extermination camp. Intellectuals like Hannah Arendt were preoccupied with the moral and jurisprudential questions of Nazi-hunting. “Conscience” puts these dilemmas into an ambitiously Shakespearean frame.
Like Hamlet, Kirk faces a crisis of certainty. “Logic is not enough,” he says, echoing Hamlet’s “What a rogue and peasant slave am I” soliloquy. “I’ve got to feel my way—make absolutely sure.” Yet one thing Kirk is already sure about is justice. Hamlet may curse the fact that he was ever born to set things right, but he knows it is his duty. Likewise Kirk. When McCoy asks him what good it will do to punish Kodos after a lapse of two decades—“Do you play god, carry his head through the corridors in triumph? That won’t bring back the dead”—Kirk answers, “No. But they may rest easier.”
For Shakespeare, justice is less about the good prospering and the bad suffering than about a harmony between the world of facts in which we live and the world of words we inhabit as beings endowed with speech. When the two fall out of sync—when Claudius’s crime knocks time “out of joint”—the result is only a perverse and temporary illusion. And Kirk is, again, not impressed by illusions. “Who are you to [judge]?” demands Kodos’s daughter. Kirk’s devastating reply: “Who do I have to be?”
This clear-headedness had evaporated by December 1991, when the movie sequel Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country appeared, only months after Roddenberry’s death. The previous films had focused on questions of loyalty, friendship, and Spock’s need for feeling to leaven his logic, but this one, written in part by Nimoy, would be the first devoted expressly to political subjects. It comments on the waning of the Cold War by portraying the first steps toward peace with the Klingons. Yet the price of peace, it turns out, is not merely to forgive past crimes, but for the innocent peoples of the galaxy to take the guilt upon themselves.
Star Trek VI opens with a shocking betrayal: without informing his captain, Spock has volunteered the crew for a peace mission to the Klingons. Kirk rightly calls this “arrogant presumption,” yet the Vulcan is never expected to apologize. On the contrary, the film summarily silences Kirk’s objections. At a banquet aboard the Enterprise, he is asked whether he would be willing to surrender his career in exchange for an end to hostilities, and Spock swiftly intervenes. “I believe the captain feels that Starfleet’s mission has always been one of peace,” he says. Kirk tries to disagree, but is again interrupted. Later, he decides that “Spock was right.” His original skepticism toward the peace mission was only prejudice: “I was used to hating Klingons.”
This represented an almost complete inversion of Star Trek’s original liberalism, and indeed of any rational scale of moral principles at all. At no point in the show’s history had Kirk or his colleagues treated the Klingons unjustly, whereas audiences for decades have watched the Klingons torment and subjugate the galaxy’s peaceful races. In “Errand of Mercy,” they attempt genocide to enslave the Organians. In “The Trouble with Tribbles,” they try to poison a planet’s entire food supply. The dungeon in which Kirk is imprisoned in this film is on a par with Stalin’s jails. Yet never does the Klingon leader, Gorkon, or any of his people, acknowledge—let alone apologize for—such injustices. Quite the contrary; his daughter tells a galactic conference, “We are a proud race. We are here because we want to go on being proud.” Within the context of the original Star Trek, such pride is morally insane.
Yet in service to Spock’s mission of elevating peace over right, the film portrays the Klingons not as thugs, but as misunderstood casualties of human bigotry. Kirk and his crew, says Gorkon’s daughter at the Enterprise banquet, represent a “homo sapiens-only club,” devoted to such chauvinistic values as “inalienable human rights.” “Why, the very name,” she quips, “is racist.” Gorkon’s pacific overtures are stymied by conspirators who assassinate him, and while pursuing the murderers, Kirk decides that he, too, is at fault—because he has not simply let bygones be bygones. Abashed, he confesses, “I couldn’t get past the death of my son”—a reference to an earlier film in which a Klingon crew stabs his son to death in an effort to extort the secret of a devastating weapon. Kirk can hardly be blamed for withholding forgiveness, considering that the Klingons have never asked for it. Yet Star Trek VI demands that Kirk let go of his grievances—and the galaxy’s—unasked, and accept that they will forever go unredressed. Justice is only a human cultural construct.
The contrast with “Conscience of the King” is jarring. It even affects the many Shakespearean references that pepper both dramas. For the orthodox bard, repentance is always a precondition of forgiveness, and conscience is the inescapable enforcer of natural law. Thus in “Conscience,” Shakespeare’s meditations illuminated Kirk’s thoughts on guilt and judgment. But in the film, the poet is quoted only to obfuscate. Star Trek VI even twists Shakespeare’s actual words. The “Undiscovered Country” of the title—to which Gorkon proposes a toast at the banquet—is not, as he claims, “the future,” but Hamlet’s metaphor for death. “‘To be or not to be,’ that is the question which preoccupies our people,” another Klingon tells Kirk. Yet where Hamlet sought the resolve to take up arms against a sea of troubles, Kirk learns not only to suffer slings and arrows, but to cease calling it outrageous. When he does, Gorkon’s daughter congratulates him for having “restored” her father’s “faith.” But Kirk is a victim of Klingon aggression—he needs no redemption.
Roddenberry was so bothered by the film’s script that he angrily confronted director Nicholas Meyer at a meeting, futilely demanding changes. He and those who helped him create Star Trek knew that without a coherent moral code—ideas they considered universal, but which the film calls “racist”—one can never have genuine peace. Star Trek VI seemed to nod contentedly at the haunting thought Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn voiced in The Gulag Archipelago: “No, no one would have to answer.”
Next Generation Nihilism
This moral weariness highlighted the moral disarray into which the franchise had fallen. By 1987, when the new Enterprise was being launched on the new series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the liberal landscape had changed. The show premiered a year after feminist philosopher of science Sandra Harding referred to Newton’s Principia as a “rape manual,” and a year before Jesse Jackson led Stanford student protesters chanting, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Western Civ has got to go!” The Kennedy-esque anti-Communist in the White House was now Ronald Reagan, a former Democrat and union leader who thought the party had left him.
Next Generation’s Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was more committed to coexistence and non-intervention than to universal liberty and anti-totalitarianism. Following Spock’s lead, Picard would elevate the Prime Directive into a morally obtuse dogma and would seek ways to evade the responsibility of moral judgment. Time and again, the show featured false equivalency on a grand scale, coupled with the hands-off attitude that the Kirk of “The Apple” had dismissed as complicity with evil.
Consider the episode “Redemption.” Picard has overseen the installation of Gowron as chief of the Klingon Empire, a decision that, though unorthodox, follows Klingon law. The empire, now humanity’s ally, had invited Picard to judge the leadership controversy, and the Enterprise’s Klingon crewman, Mr. Worf (Michael Dorn), has even resigned to join Gowron’s crew. But at just this moment, rivals to the throne revolt and attack Gowron’s ship in full view of the Enterprise. In Star Trek VI, Kirk nearly gave his life trying to prevent the assassination of the Klingon chancellor, but Picard, rather than defend the lawful leader of an ally against a revolt of which he had been forewarned—and which takes place in his presence—chooses to abandon Gowron, and his friend and shipmate Worf. He orders the Enterprise to withdraw, rather than be drawn into a battle his own actions helped precipitate. If that were not enough, Gowron—who manages to survive this fickleness—requests aid against the rebels, whom they all know to have been collaborating with the Romulans, deadly enemies of both the Klingons and humans. Yet Picard again refuses, citing the non-interference directive that Gowron has already waived by requesting assistance. Picard, the Klingons learn, is not a very valuable friend.
What accounts for this incoherent foreign policy? Nothing less than Picard’s commitment to non-commitment. He represents a new, non-judgmental liberalism far shallower than that embraced in Roddenberry’s era. Where Kirk pursues justice, Picard avoids conflict. Just as Kirk’s devotion to universal principles goes deeper than politics, so does Picard’s sentimentalism. When it comes to the universe of real suffering, real need, and a real search for truth, he is content not to decide, not to take responsibility, and not to know.
Insurrection
If “The Apple,” was the perfect expression of the older Star Trek, the culminating moment in Next Generation is the 1998 feature film, Insurrection. It opens with Picard lamenting that he’s been relegated to boring diplomatic roles. “Can anyone remember when we used to be explorers?” he grumbles. But soon he learns better. The Enterprise crew is introduced to the Ba’ku people, who live in the kind of agrarian idyll that the space hippies had sought in “The Way to Eden.” Although filmed like a Crate & Barrel ad and scored with pastoral melodies, the Ba’kus’ village is shockingly primitive. They rake, plow, weed, and blacksmith by hand—not because they don’t know better, but because they reject modern devices: “This village is a sanctuary of life,” one of them, Sojef, tells Picard:
Our technological abilities are not apparent because we have chosen not to employ them in our daily lives. We believe when you create a machine to do the work of a man, you take something away from the man.
Anij: But at one time, we explored the galaxy just as you do...
Picard: You have warp capability?
Anij: Capability, yes. But where can warp drive take us, except away from here?
The Ba’ku would have nauseated Captain Kirk. Here is a species that lives “The Apple” not as captives but as willing participants. They have given up growth for stagnation, which they have mistaken for life. Yet the audience is expected to admire this. And from this meeting, Picard learns not to long for his days exploring strange new worlds.
In a denouement ultimately cut from the film, Picard encounters Quark (Armin Shimerman), a member of the Ferengi, a race of greedy capitalists. Now that the Ba’ku are safe, Quark fantasizes about developing their home planet. Picard fends him off. “This world is about to become a Federation protectorate,” he says, “which will end any and all attempts at exploitation by people like you.” Let’s ignore the whiff of racism in the phrase “people like you”—when Quark asks “how five thousand time-share units…right there along the lake, would be ‘exploiting’ anyone,” it is a perfectly reasonable question. But Picard snidely laughs it off, and, turning to the Ba’ku, tells them that “The ‘mighty’ Federation could learn a few things from this village.”
What, Kirk would have demanded, could the Federation possibly learn from this village? A village that has chosen not to explore, that has rejected modern agricultural methods, that has given up growth and life in exchange for an absurd fetishizing of manual labor—for the fundamentally childish notion that you “take something” from people when you create tools and techniques that feed the hungry and liberate people to explore the galaxy. Roddenberry’s generation of Star Trek writers would have thought Picard’s words hopelessly reactionary—to be precise, inhuman. But by the end of Next Generation, the liberalism that once preached technological progress and human reason has reversed its priorities and now regards “progress” as incipient colonization and a threat to diversity and the environment.
Accident and Force
Star Trek’s latest iterations—the “reboot” films directed by J.J. Abrams—shrug at the franchise’s former philosophical depth. In 2009, Abrams admitted to an interviewer that he “didn’t get” Star Trek. “There was a captain, there was this first officer, they were talking a lot about adventures and not having them as much as I would’ve liked. Maybe I wasn’t smart enough.” His films accordingly eschew the series’ trademark dialogues about moral and political principles, and portray the young Kirk and crew as motivated largely by a maelstrom of lusts, fears, and resentments.
A prime symbol of this transformation is Khan, the villain who appeared first in the 1967 episode “Space Seed,” then in the second Star Trek film in 1982 (played both times by Ricardo Montalban), and most recently in Abrams’s 2013 Star Trek Into Darkness (in which he was portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch). Khan presents a serious challenge to the series’ liberal conception of equality because he is a genetically modified superman. As the late Harry V. Jaffa was fond of observing, Aristotle’s distinction between men, beasts, and gods “remains the framework of the thought of the Declaration of Independence,” according to which “any attempt of human beings to rule other human beings, as if the former were gods, and the latter beasts, is wrong.” But Khan actually is more than a man, which raises a serious problem for mankind’s right to liberty. In the original TV show’s episode, and somewhat against his grain, it is Spock who addresses the issue. When Kirk calls Khan “the best of the tyrants,” Spock is appalled:
Spock: Gentlemen, this romanticism about a ruthless dictator is—
Kirk: Mister Spock, we humans have a streak of barbarism in us. Appalling, but there, nevertheless.
Scotty: There were no massacres under his rule.
Spock: And as little freedom.
Kirk finally explains, “We can be against him and admire him all at the same time,” which Spock characterizes as “illogical.” And, in the end, the crew refuses to submit to Khan’s assertion of a eugenic right to rule. Yet they also choose not to punish him even after he tries to kill Kirk and commandeer the Enterprise. Instead, they leave him and his followers on an unpopulated planet, where he can put his talents to work pioneering a new civilization. Fifteen years later, we learn in the film Star Trek II that the planet was devastated by a natural disaster soon afterwards, killing many of Khan’s followers. Obsessed with revenge, Khan manages to escape and, like a space-age Ahab, hunts the aging Kirk. Only by sacrificing his life does Spock save his shipmates.
By the time Khan reappears under Abrams’s direction, the fixed moral stars by which the franchise once steered have been almost entirely obscured. No longer the thoughtful, bold captain, the young Kirk (Chris Pine) is now all rashness and violence, taking and breaking everything around him. He confesses that he has no idea what he is doing. But these are not vices he outgrows. Instead, the other characters come to recognize these traits as proof of his entitlement to command. When, in Abrams’s first film, Kirk’s recklessness briefly costs him his ship, his reign is restored by the intercession of an older version of Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, who journeys across the dimensions to counsel Kirk that it is still his “destiny” to lead. “[T]his is the one rule you cannot break,” Nimoy intones, without further explanation. Kirk proceeds to retake control of the Enterprise in brutal fashion. Abrams thus grounds Kirk’s authority not on practical wisdom or merit, which he expressly disclaims, but on a version of the swaggering pretension to inherent superiority that “Space Seed” had repudiated. The new Enterprise is governed more by what The Federalist calls “accident and force” than by “reflection and choice.”
This creates a paradox when the crew encounters Khan in Into Darkness. Dispatched to arrest the perpetrator of a terrorist attack, Kirk learns it is Khan—“genetically engineered to be superior so as to lead others to peace in a world at war,” Khan explains—and that earth’s current military leadership were secretly employing him as a military strategist. “I am better,” Khan says, at “everything.” But this is how Kirk, too, is depicted—as destined to command just because he is “better.” “f Khan and Kirk have the same motivation,” asked critic Abigail Nussbaum, “why is one of them the bad guy and the other the hero?”
The film acknowledges the similarities between the two, and even enlists the audience’s sympathy for Khan’s terrorism—but it never answers this question, except in terms of personal loyalty and betrayal. In an effort at ratio ex machina, Nimoy is once again brought in as Spock, to tell the crew that Khan is “dangerous”—but even he gives the audience no reason to consider Khan a villain. Ultimately, Khan is presented as evil not because he wars against equality and freedom, but because he isn’t one of us, while Kirk is—and because he loses, while Kirk wins. This arbitrariness infects the film’s single effort to express an abstract principle: “Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken,” says Kirk in the final scene. “But that’s not who we are.” We are not told why not, beyond this tribalistic assertion. But it is who Khan is, and he is better at everything. Doesn’t that make vengeance right?
Having lost their principles, the show’s heroes cannot really explain, or understand, what differentiates them from their enemies, and so are rendered vulnerable to the very forces they once opposed. That Nimoy was recruited to bless this arrangement on behalf of Star Trek’s older generation is perverse. But that perversity is the natural consequence of the breakdown in the liberal principles that once guided the series. Star Trek’s romance with relativism gradually blotted them out until the franchise came to prize feeling over thought, image over substance, and immediate gratification over moral and political responsibility. What was once an expression of the Enlightenment faded “into darkness.”
Over nearly 50 years, Star Trek tracked the devolution of liberalism from the philosophy of the New Frontier into a preference for non-judgmental diversity and reactionary hostility to innovation, and finally into an almost nihilistic collection of divergent urges. At its best, Star Trek talked about big ideas, in a big way. Its decline reflects a culture-wide change in how Americans have thought about the biggest idea of all: mankind’s place in the universe.
New Star Trek Television Series Coming In 2017 To CBS All Accesshttp://www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-series/ (http://www.cbs.com/shows/star-trek-series/)
The new series will premiere on CBS, then move to CBS All Access across digital platforms
Posted on Nov 2, 2015 08:00am
A totally new Star Trek television series is coming in January 2017! The new series will blast off with a special preview broadcast of the premiere episode on the CBS Television Network, and the premiere episode and all subsequent first-run episodes will then be available exclusively in the United States on CBS All Access.
The brand-new Star Trek will introduce new characters seeking imaginative new worlds and new civilizations, while exploring the dramatic contemporary themes that have been a signature of the franchise since its inception in 1966.
Alex Kurtzman will serve as executive producer for the series. Kurtzman co-wrote and produced the blockbuster films Star Trek (2009) with Roberto Orci, and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) with Orci and Damon Lindelof. Both films were produced and directed by J.J. Abrams.
The new series will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout. Kurtzman and Heather Kadin will serve as executive producers. Kurtzman is also an executive producer for the hit CBS television series Scorpion and Limitless, along with Kadin and Orci, and for Hawaii Five-0 with Orci.
The new program will be the first original series developed specifically for U.S. audiences for CBS All Access, a cross-platform streaming service that brings viewers thousands of episodes from CBS’s current and past seasons on demand, plus the ability to stream their local CBS Television stations live for $5.99 per month. CBS All Access already offers every episode of all previous Star Trek television series.
Sign up for a free trial of CBS All Access and prep for the new show with every episode of the classic Star Trek series available commercial-free!
Star Trek, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016, is one of the most successful entertainment franchises of all time. The original Star Trek spawned a dozen feature films and five successful television series. Almost half a century later, the Star Trek television series are licensed on a variety of different platforms in more than 190 countries, and the franchise still generates more than a billion social media impressions every month.
Born from the mind of Gene Roddenberry, the original Star Trek series debuted on Sept. 8, 1966 and aired for three seasons – a short run that belied the influence it would have for generations. The series also broke new ground in storytelling and cultural mores, providing a progressive look at topics including race relations, global politics and the environment.
“There is no better time to give Star Trek fans a new series than on the heels of the original show’s 50th anniversary celebration,” said David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios. “Everyone here has great respect for this storied franchise, and we’re excited to launch its next television chapter in the creative mind and skilled hands of Alex Kurtzman, someone who knows this world and its audience intimately.”
“This new series will premiere to the national CBS audience, then boldly go where no first-run Star Trek series has gone before – directly to its millions of fans through CBS All Access,” said Marc DeBevoise, Executive Vice President/General Manager – CBS Digital Media. “We’ve experienced terrific growth for CBS All Access, expanding the service across affiliates and devices in a very short time. We now have an incredible opportunity to accelerate this growth with the iconic Star Trek, and its devoted and passionate fan base, as our first original series.”
The next chapter of the Star Trek franchise will also be distributed concurrently for television and multiple platforms around the world by CBS Studios International.
“Every day, an episode of the Star Trek franchise is seen in almost every country in the world,” said Armando Nuñez, President and CEO, CBS Global Distribution Group. “We can’t wait to introduce Star Trek’s next voyage on television to its vast global fan base.”
CBS All Access offers its customers more than 7,500 episodes from the current television season, previous seasons and classic shows on demand nationwide, as well as the ability to stream local CBS stations live in more than 110 markets. Subscribers can use the service online and across devices via CBS.com, the CBS App for iOS, Android and Windows 10, as well as on connected devices such as Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Roku players and Roku TV, with more connected devices to come.
The new television series is not related to the upcoming feature film Star Trek Beyond, which is scheduled to be distributed by Paramount Pictures in summer 2016.
It's rather unlikely that I'd get All Access for any reason and I don't like anything Star Trek that they've put out this century, so this will be a pass.I could never really tolerate the "New" star trek because it simply appears to operate as a money making product. This analysis, however, does not preclude the recognition that any of the official series after Star Trek: The original Series had financial motives behind the production of these programs.
Well, that's crap.
Thank goodness for fan films. I just saw the latest episode of Red Shirt Diaries today.
So talk about Star Wars is pretty welcome here, until such time as it might take off and need its own thread. Raiders is more of a genre stretch, but we're, honestly, talking about escapist adventure stories in all cases, so what the heck. Start new threads, post in this one - it's all good.I'd rather Star Wars had its own thread, to be honest.
"No time for love now, Dr. Jones!" ;lol
The original Star Trek spawned ... five successful television series.
So is the latest series going to follow the timeline of the latest movies?I hope not. If it does, I won't watch it.
One of these days someone should do an evil empire star trek series.Yes.
One of these days someone should do an evil empire star trek series.
A. Not enough potential viewers
(I don't particularly like the Klingons and in my opinion Worf is the Character Who Ate TNG and DS9. Thank goodness they couldn't figure out how to shoehorn him onto Voyager, or that's the third series I wouldn't have been able to enjoy.
B. Expenses of time and materials to put the cast in Klingon makeup every day.
C. Some people are allergic to the goop that has to be used to attach alien prostheses so they just can't play characters like Klingons, Ferengi, etc.
Yes.Even more amusing given that I don't approve of empires in the first place.
-Also funny, coming from you.
It would be fun to watch them try and write for an evil empire
series and not make it like some silly parody.
Star Trek revival: Bryan Fuller returning to command new serieshttp://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/09/star-trek-bryan-fuller (http://www.ew.com/article/2016/02/09/star-trek-bryan-fuller)
'Hannibal' showrunner returning to 'Star Trek' franchise to command new CBS show
Entertainment Weekly
by James Hibberd • @JamesHibberd Posted February 9 2016 — 1:00 PM EST
(http://www.ew.com/sites/default/files/styles/tout_image_612x380/public/i/2016/02/09/enterprise.jpg?itok=Q8RQEXnw)
(Everett Collection)
The upcoming Star Trek TV series has found the perfect captain.
After 15 years, Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) is returning to command the franchise that launched his career by showrunning CBS’ new Trek series.
Fuller started his writing career on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and then moved to Star: Trek Voyager, and has advocated for the franchise to return to television for years.
“My very first experience of Star Trek is my oldest brother turning off all the lights in the house and flying his model of a D7 Class Klingon Battle Cruiser through the darkened halls,” said Fuller, who will be co-creator and executive producer on the project. “Before seeing a frame of the television series, the Star Trek universe lit my imagination on fire. It is without exaggeration a dream come true to be crafting a brand-new iteration of Star Trek with fellow franchise alum Alex Kurtzman and boldly going where no Star Trek series has gone before.”
Kurtzman, who is a writer and producer on 2009’s Star Trek and 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness, will serve as an executive producer. “Bringing Star Trek back to television means returning it to its roots, and for years those roots flourished under Bryan’s devoted care,” he said. “His encyclopedic knowledge of Trek canon is surpassed only by his love for Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic future, a vision that continues to guide us as we explore strange new worlds.”
The new series will launch in early 2017 with a preview airing on CBS, and then will shift exclusively to CBS All Access as part of the company’s effort to bolster interest in its streaming service.
Though there are not yet any official details about the story concept behind the new series, in previous interviews, Fuller has lent his thoughts on reviving Trek (which marks its 50th anniversary this year). “I would love to return to the spirit of the old series with the colors and attitude,” he said back in 2008. “One where you could go back to the spirit and color of the original Star Trek, because somehow, it got cold over the years.”
In 2013 he teased having a “very specific idea” for a relaunch: “Having spent four years on staff and another year of freelancing before that on Star Trek, it’s a very near and dear property to my heart, and also a philosophy. I would love to create a Star Trek show, so that’s on my dream docket. I think there’s something very exciting about the new J.J. Abrams-verse, and there’s also kind of an interesting reinvention. How would The Next Generation evolve from that? Where would that be? Where would that go? But there’s also … Star Trek is such a big universe, and there are so many places to go with it. I have a very specific idea that I would love to do. We’ll see if I ever get the opportunity.”
The same year, Fuller said one idea would is to not have the show set on the Enterprise, but the U.S.S. Reliant, perhaps best known for being hijacked by Kahn in the franchise’s second feature film Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn. “I think let that be the movies and let that be their story. I would love to do something on the Reliant … I want Angela Bassett to be the captain, that’s who I would love to have, you know Captain Angela Bassett and First Officer Rosario Dawson. I would love to do that version of the show and but that’s in the future to be told.”
Fuller’s plate is now pretty full. He’s also serving as a showrunner on Starz’s upcoming American Gods, and developing NBC’s Amazing Stories reboot.
The new series will launch in early 2017 with a preview airing on CBS, and then will shift exclusively to CBS All Access as part of the company’s effort to bolster interest in its streaming service.
I would be astonished if it was very good...QuoteThe new series will launch in early 2017 with a preview airing on CBS, and then will shift exclusively to CBS All Access as part of the company’s effort to bolster interest in its streaming service.
Yep. Canadian viewers not welcome. Why should I even bother?
'Star Trek' Boldly Goes Into Education With Lecture Serieshttp://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-boldly-goes-education-lecture-series-193338588.html (http://news.yahoo.com/star-trek-boldly-goes-education-lecture-series-193338588.html)
The Hollywood Reporter
By Graeme McMillan February 24, 2016 2:33 PM
(http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/9Bhmw3IINbmpDbnXs407Eg--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztxPTg1/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2015/09/star_trek_tv_still_-h_2015.jpg)
The next frontier in the celebrations of Star Trek's half-century anniversary isn't visiting a new galaxy, facing off against an alien race that would make the Borg nervous or even someone finally getting around to inventing transporter technology. Instead, CBS Consumer Products has announced Trek Talks, a series of lectures designed to examine the ways in which Star Trek has interacted with the real world throughout its history.
In a series of talks taking place from July 2016 through July 2017 in colleges, universities, museums and elsewhere — CBS' official release references "academic and entertainment institutions" — topics discussed will include Star Trek's impact on (and prediction of) the information age, the show's utopian idea of a multi-cultural society and the way the show addresses the idea of scientific exploration.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Liz Kalodner, CBS Consumer Products executive vice president and general manager of Star Trek, said that the franchise "has helped shape our collective perspective ... From technological advancements to racial and economic equality, Star Trek has broached a broad and varied range of subjects over the years. These Trek Talks will address its impact and provide an entertaining and educational forum to discuss such influence."
Partners for the program include NASA, the Canadian Space Agency and New York's Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, with talks already scheduled for September's Star Trek: Mission New York and this summer's San Diego Comic-Con.
The official 50th anniversary for Star Trek is Sep. 8, with the latest cinematic installment of the series, Star Trek Beyond, set to fly into theaters on July 22.
Nicholas Meyer Joins New Star Trek Series
StarTrek.com Staff February 26, 2016
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/255b3a462be3f0dc487b8896cc877769d296d785.jpg)
It’s official. Bryan Fuller, who will co-create, produce and serve as showrunner of the upcoming Star Trek series, has just announced the news that Nicholas Meyer has joined the show's writing staff and will be a consulting producer.
"Nicholas Meyer chased Kirk and Khan 'round the Mutara Nebula and 'round Genesis' flames, he saved the whales with the Enterprise and its crew, and waged war and peace between Klingons and the Federation. We are thrilled to announce that one of Star Trek's greatest storytellers will be boldly returning as Nicholas Meyer beams aboard the new Trek writing staff," said Executive Producer, Bryan Fuller.
Meyer, of course, is beloved by Star Trek fans worldwide for directing (and co-writing, uncredited) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, co-writing Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and co-writing and directing Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
The new Star Trek series, produced by CBS Television Studios, will launch in early 2017. In the U.S., a special premiere episode will air on the CBS Television Network and all subsequent first-run episodes will be available exclusively on CBS All Access. The series will also be available on television stations and platforms in other countries around the world.
- See more at: http://www.startrek.com/article/nicholas-meyer-joins-new-star-trek-series#sthash.Tdq1t9jO.dpuf (http://www.startrek.com/article/nicholas-meyer-joins-new-star-trek-series#sthash.Tdq1t9jO.dpuf)
Star Trek - Horizon: Full Film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l94v4YOqxOc#)I notice that this has closed captioning, and I've gladly turned it on...
Probably safe to assume that I'll be live-reviewing this when I get caught up later today to watching...
4:23It's a TNG reference. Picard used an Iconian gateway to escape a dicey situation in one episode.
Iconians? Whazzat?
(I'm asking if they were made up for this, or I'm missing a TNG or something reference...)
9:34To be fair, and expand on this point, they made the right choice; they could do the Romulans right, and contradict absolutely everything made since 1986 -which got the Romulans wrong- or piss off a MUCH smaller number of 'Star Track' fans by agreeing with the show they were making a fanfilm in.
It's not rational to expect anyone to hold to the Blish version of the Romulan war, not least a fanfic of Enterprise, which contradicted Blish -and actual continuity- on the Romulans, but I'm bothered anyway. grumble grumble grumble
Star Trek - Horizon: Full Film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l94v4YOqxOc#)I DO hope others will take a look and post some reaction/opinions - to what-all I posted as I watched, too.
Probably safe to assume that I'll be live-reviewing this when I get caught up later today to watching...
ANYONE? It's been five days, and the only chance I've had to discuss this was a longish paragraph on Facebook (liked it a lot) from someone with whom I'm not currently speaking...Star Trek - Horizon: Full Film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=l94v4YOqxOc#)I DO hope others will take a look and post some reaction/opinions - to what-all I posted as I watched, too.
Probably safe to assume that I'll be live-reviewing this when I get caught up later today to watching...
It nailed the sets and costumes, the story was serviceable for all the complaints I made, the sound and effects and shipporn were pro-quality --- as was everything about the impressive finesse of the post-production, which went almost all the way to making the so-so acting work.
Quality. Period.
Rod Roddenberry Joins New Star Trek Series As Executive Producerhttp://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/03/03/rod-roddenberry-joins-new-star-trek-series-as-executive-producer/ (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/03/03/rod-roddenberry-joins-new-star-trek-series-as-executive-producer/)
Bleeding Cool
Posted March 3, 2016 by Erik Amaya
(http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/enterprise-350x197.jpg)
enterpriseVariety reports that Rod Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, has joined the staff of CBS’s new untitled Star Trek series as an executive producer along with Trevor Roth.
They join the previously announced executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin and showrunner Bryan Fuller in shaping the latest version of the generations-spanning franchise. It is currently unclear when the series will be set relative to the rebooted film series, but the program itself is intended to stream on CBS’s All Access service following a premiere on its on-air network.
Roddenberry is not the only Star Trek name to join the series in recent days. Late last week, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country director (and co-writer of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) Nicholas Meyer signed on as a consulting producer and as a member of the writing staff.
The new Star Trek series is expected to debut in January of 2017.
QuoteRod Roddenberry Joins New Star Trek Series As Executive ProducerIt is. From everything I know about the guy, he genuinely had no interest in Star Trek for many years. Then after Majel Barrett's death, he suddenly started popping up everywhere, declaring how wonderful Star Trek is, how "excited" he is about his father's legacy, and so much more unbelievable drivel.
Smells like stunt-casting for producers...
I find the Anaxar thread at TrekBBS maddening. It's about two months beyond the moderators doing their jobs. It's OT, it's hateful - and they were talking, just yesterday after a few pages of OT about TWOK/STID, about complaints that it was hateful and not getting it. What it is not, is a useful source of information about the lawsuit which is the only reason I look in once a week and read a day's worth at the end.
I happen to think the general drift of the hating is correct - Anaxar/Peters took a LOT of money from a LOT of people, financial irregularities are what they are, and there was a (good, especially if you like war stories and shipporn posing as Star Trek; it WAS about building new warships from one end to the other) mockumentary and three whole minutes of footage shot otherwise -nothing else after so long- when somebody at Paramount got fed up and sent in the lawyers. It's all apparently true, including the endless talk about what a jerk Alex Peters has been online - and incredibly boring to read 14 pages a day about from people -few of whom seem to have donated- who seem to take it all personally. The mods ought to forbid the eternal harsh flaming of a banned member who isn't allowed to defend himself, and enforce some topic discipline - or close the darn thing. I just want developments in the lawsuit and whether they're dumb enough to do any shooting towards actually making the movie.
It's not internet nerdz at their worst -which is on YouTube- and at least most of it's spelled right, but aspies don't know when to quit, and it needs to be stepped on in January. Gets right up my nose, it does.
(I'm working up to talking about Anaxar -the project and the lawsuit and the issue involved, not the stupid thread- but I've got a lot of wading to do in that stupid thread first.)
I'm not a member there, but I actually have been following the NES/IOT squabble since late last year, actively looking around NES researching to get a sense of what happened - (and concluded I didn't want to offer sanctuary after the Frontier exodus went boobs-up, 'cause those cats fight and they'd find my moderation more oppressive than CFC's; I've no more interest in watching people fight than I want to spend a lot of time actually pulling out the hammer).
T'Bonz is the one who started a thread last year -or the year before- to say there was too much fighting among fan productions, it was going to stop, and requiring various parties to acknowledge.
-I SO don't care to see strangers fight, but she totally stepped on me getting details of Vic Mignogna allegedly stealing a set, and stuff like that. -And yet THIS (boring, tedious, obsessively-hating, hopelessly burying the newsworthy part) excrement is allowed.
;hypocrite
I see no danger of anyone trying to straighten out that thread, Val.
Vic/Continues went in with --- Farragut or some relatively obscure production like that but not Farragut together on building a set with the idea of sharing, and made off with the set abruptly, the story goes. He had an -eventful- history with PII/NV -that much seems uncontested- with the Klingon episode Kimabta that he directed not coming out for four years after it was finished over some murky dispute - and was somehow involved with Mind Sifter, although I'm unclear if that was anything to do with why half of it had to be shot twice. Patty Wright, God bless 'er, has a big mouth, if only they'd let her. I wasn't interested in the stuff that some members went into hater territory and tried to claim he does underage fans at cons and junk like that, but the big deals about what went into the sausage, I'd like to have seen an attempt at a dispassionate accounting of bare fact, not that anyone at TBBS seems to be capable of dispassionate.
I couldn't explain why I want the fanfilm gossip, though. I just like Continues. You're right that the fact that James Tiptree Jr. died in the latter half of a murder/suicide has nothing to do with Crown of Stars being very, VERY good.
That NESer wouldn't be Thlayli, would it? I like the cut of his jib.
So all that said, about the Anaxar lawsuit:
It's about fan ethics in fanfic. When we produce derivative works, we're playing in someone else's sandbox, and have to stop if they notice and say to stop. It's really that simple, legally and ethically, and the rest is just details. We don't bother asking permission, but we have to be aware that it's someone else's universe and we have practically no rights on the face of it.
Nemesis isn't anything that benefited my life for having seen it. It just confirmed my opinion that no matter how hard they tried, they would never be able to pull off a decent TNG movie.
Nemisis has materialized.
I should note that it's been pretty completely spoiled for me, to the extent I remember what I've heard, and that it's highly unlikely that I'll like the Data story at all -I never ever like Data stories- or the Picard clone story when the clone isn't even Locutus. I loathe the Borg, likewise Loc, but there's history there, and the villain would have been played by Patrick Stewart, automatically making the movie 10x better...
Not sure how soon I'll get to it - I think we're going to go early vote shortly, and that's on top of already having woken up dead this morning.
First Contact was barely tolerable. I absolutely hated the actor who played Cochrane, and how he was written. Zephram Cochrane was not a drunken buffoon.Nemesis isn't anything that benefited my life for having seen it. It just confirmed my opinion that no matter how hard they tried, they would never be able to pull off a decent TNG movie.
Wait...
Are you saying First Contact wasn't decent?
Oh, it didn't live up to your preconceived expectations from the EU.I don't think of the novels as a grand unified "EU" (whatever that is - "expanded universe"? That's a Star Wars term that doesn't apply to Star Trek). They take place in so many different alternate novel canons that most of the earlier ones are pretty much standalones. There are a few exceptions - the Diane Duane books, for example, or the "duology" novels of A.C. Crispin, Jean Lorrah, and even those abominable Diane Carey books.
I see that a lot from the Star Wars crowd as well, and can understand to a degree. However, if you're truly going to critique a film, you have to set aside those preconceptions and judge it on it's own merits or lack thereof.
(And you can't pay me enough to read scifi that is not horror tinged.)
More to your point, I found everything in that movie that happened on Earth cringe-worthy, myself. Having no idea who Cochrane is/was going in, it was just annoying how the crew blatantly disregards anything we've ever been taught about time-travel, and we're expected to believe they are "fixing" the timeline. Fortunately, the Earth-side stuff is but a small sideshow. Meanwhile, this was easily the best Borg we ever got, and the shipside scenario was quite compelling and well directed. Taking direct clues from Aliens was perfectly suited and played well, IMO.
First Contact failed to live up to my expectations of a good Star Trek movie. Period. They didn't have to follow the Federation plotline to please me (though I'd have been ecstatic if they had, as it's one of the very best ST novels out of all the hundreds written). They just had to make Cochrane consistent with how he was presented in the episode "Metamorphosis." Of course they had to use a different actor as Glenn Corbett is dead, but they could have found someone who resembled him, and not made him a buffoon. The Cochrane in the movie is someone I wouldn't trust to put together a Kinder Surprise toy, let alone a warp-capable spaceship.
How do you know if a novel isn't "horror-tinged" unless you at least read a description of it?
@BUncle: Do you mean that we didn't have the chance to see the film knowing spoilers, or not knowing spoilers? (please excuse my confusion)I'd seen Metamorphosis more than a few times, and knew what continuity the usual suspects of fake were threating with contempt - as usual. Nothing to do with spoilers, everything to do with being long-time fans of the real thing.
Uno, this isn't going to turn into one of those arguments about ST continuity you're not familiar with, is it?
Valka and I never had the opportunity to see the film not knowing what was being contradicted...
QuoteFirst Contact failed to live up to my expectations of a good Star Trek movie. Period. They didn't have to follow the Federation plotline to please me (though I'd have been ecstatic if they had, as it's one of the very best ST novels out of all the hundreds written). They just had to make Cochrane consistent with how he was presented in the episode "Metamorphosis." Of course they had to use a different actor as Glenn Corbett is dead, but they could have found someone who resembled him, and not made him a buffoon. The Cochrane in the movie is someone I wouldn't trust to put together a Kinder Surprise toy, let alone a warp-capable spaceship.
Your complaint boils down to "I didn't like this character so the whole thing sucks". I don't personally find that a reason to not like a movie as a whole.
I agree it would have been nice from a purely story perspective if had they replaced the GIRL with Cochrane, had him getting healed, then running about the ship with the Captain, and quoting Moby Dick while Picard is trying to get him back to the surface in time for launch. Presents him in a better light, perhaps overcome by all this crap going on, but would fit much better.
However, I think there was a real conscious effort to ADD the GIRL, because Trek had a perception problem at the time of being a bit behind the times in that respect. The GIRL, coupled with the inebriated Cochrane implies maybe SHE had a bit more to do with that first drive, even if Cochrane gets the credit, and provides Picard a strong female foil, since Beverly never lives up to that.
Meanwhile, Cochrane provides the comedy relief, which Trek desperately needs, and their normal outlet of Spock/Data (lets face it, they serve the same purpose) was taken to a much more interesting dark place in this movie, so needed a fill in.
Canonically it fits, as well, since the Cochran from Metamorphosis is what, 200 years old and had lord knows what done to him by space magic? We have no semblance of what he was before. It's not much of a stretch to think the guy who just saw his life's work bombed from space and thinks the apocalypse is coming didn't decide to go get drunk. Nor do we even bother to sober him up before telling him ALL ABOUT the future (which makes no sense to do).
Uno, have you seen Metamorphosis? Had you already seen it when you had first contact with First Contact?
I've wondered the same point about the Companion having possibly done some space magic on Cochrane beyond the explicit making him young and immortal, but can't figure out why an energy cloud person would make him shorter and handsomer - and yes, duller. Just doesn't manage to compute.
I submit that we love you, but suggestions that perhaps we may have reacted foolishly given what we took into the theater when we saw the film are not being received well at all and don't really follow from your different history with [ugh] the franchise. Nerds should know better than to go there with each other...
What is this "GIRL" stuff? Lily Sloane was the only part of the movie I actually liked.
Lily Sloane is an adult WOMAN. She's not a child. She's not there as mindless sexy eye candy; she's got dignity.
If CBS were to write me tomorrow and say, 'OK, you know what? We are changing our stance on fan productions. You need to stop now,'" Mignogna told 1701News. "My public response would be to say the following: 'Star Trek Continues' is so very grateful to CBS for the privilege to have spent the last few years paying tribute to the show that we all love. And at their request, we will not be making any more. But I want to thank them for the opportunity to have done so in the first place.And in private, I would cuss and kick things for months. But you know, gotta behave yourself in public and do the right thing.
http://1701news.com/node/1075/mignogna-continues-fan-series-leads-example.html (http://1701news.com/node/1075/mignogna-continues-fan-series-leads-example.html)Quote from: Vic MignognaIf CBS were to write me tomorrow and say, 'OK, you know what? We are changing our stance on fan productions. You need to stop now,'" Mignogna told 1701News. "My public response would be to say the following: 'Star Trek Continues' is so very grateful to CBS for the privilege to have spent the last few years paying tribute to the show that we all love. And at their request, we will not be making any more. But I want to thank them for the opportunity to have done so in the first place.And in private, I would cuss and kick things for months. But you know, gotta behave yourself in public and do the right thing.
---
-No, Valka; I made the unquoted part up.
I see Warped9 called 09 "a piece of [poop]" yesterday, and hasn't been trolled for it yet...Are you talking about another person or the 2009 movie?
Huh. People on an actual Star Trek forum like the Abrams abomination(s)? I didn't know that was even allowed. Like people on a chocolate forum playing apologists for carob.
The (s) is because I didn't bother seeing the second one after the first desecration, and knowing Valka's strong feelings on the matter I am merely allowing for the possibility that it was as atrocious as commonly claimed. ;)
Starship Farragut: The Crossing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZpVMDJrT20&feature=player_embedded#)Viewing about to commence - will review, but I don't have a great feeling about this one...
I posted the Beastie Boys trailer here months and months ago. ;pukingsmilie
Paramount Claims Crowdfunded 'Star Trek' Film Infringes Copyright to Klingon Languagehttp://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/paramount-claims-crowdfunded-star-trek-874985 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/paramount-claims-crowdfunded-star-trek-874985)
The film studio details what in the "Star Trek" universe is protected by law.
The Hollywood Reporter
March 13, 2016 3:29pm PT by Eriq Gardner
(http://cdn3.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale_crop_768_433/2015/09/star_trek_tv_still_-h_2015.jpg)
NBC/Photofest
As promised, the lawsuit launched by Paramount Pictures and CBS over Axanar, a fan-funded Star Trek film, is boldly going places where no man — or Klingon — has gone before. As the Klingons say, "DabuQlu'DI' yISuv."
After the Star Trek rights-holders sued producers, led by Alec Peters, who put out a short film and solicited donations with the aim of making a studio-quality feature set in the year 2245 — before Captain James T. Kirk took command, when the war with the Klingon Empire almost tore the Federation apart — the defendants brought a dismissal motion that faulted Paramount and CBS with not providing enough specificity about which of the "thousands" of copyrights relating to Star Trek episodes and films are being infringed — and how.
Ask and ye shall receive.
On Friday, Paramount and CBS filed an amended complaint that responded in a few ways.
To the argument that because the crowdfunded film hasn't actually been made yet, the lawsuit is "premature, unripe and would constitute an impermissible prior restraint on speech," the plaintiffs point to defendant's Facebook post that mentioned a "locked script." They also note a press interview that Peters gave on Feb. 1 where he said, "We violate CBS copyright less than any other fan film," as an admission he indeed is violating copyright.
But the highlights of the new court papers are more specificity about what is alleged to be a copyright infringement.
For example, how about them pointy ears of the Vulcans?
(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/vulcans.png)
Or how about those gold shirts that Federation officers wear?
(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/goldshirt.png)
There's also word that the defendants are infringing characters like Starfleet captain Richard Robau, the triangular medals worn by Starfleet officers, the Starship Enterprise, the appearance of Klingons, the name of the Klingon home planet, the element of using a "Stardate" to tell time, the logo of the United Federation of Planets, the element of phasers, the element of beaming up via transporters, the element of warp drive and so forth. Read the amended lawsuit in full (https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/2757228-Axanar-Klingon.html).
But here's our particular favorite:
(http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/klingon.png)
Yes, that's right, the language of Klingon.
Why this strikes a particular chord is that last year, the copyrightable nature of Klingon actually became a subject in a closely watched dispute between Oracle and Google. In a nutshell, Oracle looks to protect its Java API code from Google's attempt to use some of it for its Android software. A federal appeals court ruled in May 2014 that one could indeed copyright an API, leading to a collective freak-out by many in the tech industry. Google then attempted to get the U.S. Supreme Court interested, and Charles Duan of both Slate and the Milky Way Galaxy found a metaphor in the language of Klingon.
Duan wrote, "With the rumors about the third Star Trek film starting to fly, it’s high time to talk about how the Supreme Court is about to rule on whether it is illegal to speak Klingon."
In his view, copyrighting an API is akin to copyrighting a language, and what Oracle was doing was an attempt to stop Google from speaking a language. Unfortunately for Google, the Supreme Court didn't agree to hear the case. Over the years, there have arisen other copyright concerns pertaining to the Klingon language without any firm evidence that Paramount indeed would ever claim rights to stop others from speaking it.
Until now.
Maybe API code wasn't the right starship to explore the copyrighting of Klingon. Perhaps instead it's a real-life legal dispute involving Klingon that will inform rights surrounding code. The influence of Star Trek on technology has long been celebrated. Now comes a Star Trek legal dispute that is totally sci non fi.
Lawsuit-Plagued Axanar Looking For Private Investorshttp://1701news.com/node/1084/lawsuit-plagued-axanar-looking-private-investors.html (http://1701news.com/node/1084/lawsuit-plagued-axanar-looking-private-investors.html)
Says it's spinning off $250,000 studio space liability
1701 News
MICHAEL HINMAN Mar-17-2016 12:52am
(http://1701news.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/pe_image/storygraphic/newaresstudios031616.jpg)
A group of "independent" fan-film producers in the middle of a copyright infringement lawsuit from two major studios is poised to give up its own California studio space.
Alec Peters, a named defendant in the lawsuit from CBS Corp. and Paramount Pictures Inc., told supporters on the "Star Trek: Axanar" website Wednesday plans are afloat to more or less spin off that converted office space to what he calls a "small group of backers and fans."
"The cost of converting this space into a soundstage was a big piece of what we raised money for in the Axanar Kickstarter campaign," Peters wrote on the website. "Some of that money was also intended to cover the monthly rent of the space," which he added was $12,500 per month.
Because of the lease signed by Axanar Productions, which also is named in the copyright infringement suit, even after the fan-film is made, the group would still be liable for $250,000 in rent.
"Someone needs to pay that rent," Peters said.
These "backers and fans" will create a separate company that would take over management of the soundstage, as well as pay rent, and even reimburse Axanar Productions for the fan-donated money it invested in the commercial project, Peters said. That company also would assume the $250,000 lease liability, which would cover the next two years.
"To do that, the new company will need to be a for-profit entity, and raise investment dollars for capital," Peters wrote. Axanar Productions, incidentally, is listed as a for-profit corporation in California.
"We consider this a win-win for for everybody," Peters said. "The new entity will reimburse Axanar Productions all the money that was spent on upgrading the building, and those funds will go into the production."
Axanar spokesman Mike Bawden responded to Peters' latest announcement in a social media area that has been discussing the overall copyright infringement case, "CBS/Paramount v. Axanar," a group originally formed by the owner of 1701News. There, he told discussion participants that reimbursement would be made to Axanar Productions, not the people who donated money to the troubled fan-film that raised more than $1.1 million in crowdfunding.
"The investors will have no interest in Axanar Productions or its projects," Bawden said. "From what I understand, they are looking at the viability of renting the soundstage out to productions, including, I presume, 'Axanar.'"
The move would remove the "ticking clock that was the monthly rent payments for the soundstage" and "other liabilities," Bawden said. "It also means, I assume, that Axanar Productions will have additional cash on-hand if and when the lawsuit settles. Exactly how much and when, I don't have those details."
The transaction, if it does take place, would be more than just liabilities. Axanar Productions budgeted $400,000 for the space, but the "actual cost was more," Bawden said. "They've put a great deal of money into a soundproofed floor, a massive green screen, a lighting grid, sets, equipment, ventilation, etc. All of the physical assets that were paid for out of their second Kickstarter campaign."
What this means for the lawsuit is unclear. CBS/Paramount filed an amended complaint last week, and on Tuesday, the judge in the case denied Axanar's motion to dismiss as "moot." Axanar will have an opportunity to respond to the amended complaint before the end of the month.
CBS and Paramount sued Peters and Axanar Productions last December claiming the entire operation violated its copyrighted Star Trek works. It is seeking up to $150,000 in statutory damages for each instance of infringement, or actual damages. That could potentially cost Axanar hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.
The two studios, which is readying "Star Trek: Beyond" in July as well as a new Star Trek television series in January, still has left the door open to add more defendants — primarily those who helped write, direct and produce the yet-to-be-filmed "Star Trek: Axanar" production.
Cawley Says Some People Shouldn't Do Fan-Filmshttp://1701news.com/node/1083/cawley-says-some-people-shouldnt-do-fan-films.html (http://1701news.com/node/1083/cawley-says-some-people-shouldnt-do-fan-films.html)
'Star Trek: New Voyages' producer speaks out about Axanar lawsuit, more or less
1701 News
MICHAEL HINMAN Mar-16-2016 9:31pm
(http://1701news.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/pe_image/storygraphic/newvoyages031616.jpg)
How is the ongoing legal battle between the two studios that own the rights to Star Trek against an "independent" fan-film affecting other fan film productions?
Last week, "Star Trek Continues" star and executive producer Vic Mignogna shared his thoughts with 1701News. And now, "Star Trek: New Voyages" producer — well, Star Trek fan — James Cawley has shared some of his thoughts about fan-films as well.
"I have been playing Trek since I was a little kid, running around my neighborhood with my friends," Cawley recently wrote at the TrekBBS. "I am still doing that, although not as much these days. At nearly 50, I would look silly. But my toys have gotten better."
Cawley commented in a thread on the popular Star Trek message board that now has more than 12,000 posts discussing the copyright infringement case CBS Corp. and Paramount Pictures filed against Axanar Productions and Alec Peters last December. Although he didn't reference Axanar directly, Cawley did contrast what "New Voyages" does compared to what Axanar reportedly has been doing.
"I don't rent my sets, I don't charge for anything, and I certainly have never gotten any salary for playing Trek with my friends," Cawley said. "If you are not in it to have fun and be at summer camp, you should not be doing a fan-film."
Axanar has built what it's dubbed Ares Studio in Valencia, California, just outside Los Angeles, to where it reportedly planned to offer commercial rentals of its space. Peters, the producer in charge of Axanar, also reported paying himself a salary of $38,000 last year, plus expenses, which no other fan-film producer has claimed in the past. Axanar reportedly raised more than $1.1 million in crowdfunding, on a fan-film that has yet to be produced.
Mirroring what Mignogna told 1701News last week, Cawley said he would never find himself locked in a court battle over whether or not he can make fan-films.
"There is no question in my mind that CBS owns Star Trek," Cawley said. "There have been very gracious to allow us to play in their sandbox for many years. We have always had a good relationship with CBS, and have always complied with any request that they have made of us, and will continue to do so.
"If CBS says, 'Stop making fan-films,' we would abide by their wishes, and say, 'Thank you.'"
Cawley has allowed other productions to use his New York-based sets for years, but stopped the practice after "drama" he endured last fall. He didn't get into specifics about what happened.
"I am tired of the associated drama that goes with that scenario," Cawley said.
Although Cawley is credited as a producer on "New Voyages," he describes it more as a "fake title when it comes fan-films because none of us are doing this for a living, or at a pro level. I would simply prefer being referred to as a huge Trek fan in reality."
"I have spent far too much of my own money for many years — 15 of them to be exact — far more than I care to think about," Cawley said. "I did it for nothing but the love of the game. If and when it ends, at least I can say I played by the rules I was given when I crossed the finish line."
"Star Trek: New Voyages" released its 10th episode, "The Holiest Thing," last year. The fan-series' 11th episode, "Torment of Destiny" guest-starring Richard Hatch, premieres later this year.
James Cawley sometimes posts at TrekBBS. Alec Peters used to, but he got so obnoxious that T'Bonz permabanned him. More than once, as I understand he tried to sneak back under a DL.At least two DLs, I understand.
STC received their approval on March 14. You can find the post on their FB page.
If I was running a Star Trek recreation, I rather not be trying to get Cawley and Mignona and whomever else on the phone several times a year to swap info about what we each had in the pipeline -too much trouble and too many ways for it to backfire- and would just avoid an obvious major source of overlap by doing no sequels to ST episodes.
It's kind of a lame fan thing when it happens too much - Mylochka and I have extensively discussed followups to a number of ST episodes (a Sulu's ship in the Valjiir universe series, and one is half-written for a long time now) - but there are thousands and thousands of fanfic stories released all over creation in a year; not quite the same thing as a handful of fanfic films, and two doing the Mirror Universe within about a year, is it?
(I mean, if a LOT of 'whatever happened on the Nazi world?' stories all came out in a short time, I guarantee Mylochka would never include that episode in her series -I'm deliberately giving an example we didn't discuss- might drop the whole thing, in fact. The fan shows don't have the luxury of fast production/release and/or killing an unfortunately-timed effort, so I'd say steer away entirely.)
Interesting. David Gerrold has made a number of public statements about the Anaxar thing (claiming "I don't have a dog in this fight, but", which doesn't seem to be the actual case - and you know my own experience of his honesty) drawing the ire of the haterz.
Turns out -and this is new by me- that Bob Heinlein came to feel like he'd been had/cheated for his gracious waver over flatcats/tribbles when he found out Gerrold was selling stuffed tribbles at cons...
Some project other than fanfic that's been available on the website for ages now, yes.
I can't make the woman finish writing - I've done what I can to help. -Actually, it could have been Drake, or something. Is The Drake anything Sulu might have commanded in Valjiir? (Whoever came up with Sulu naming a ship D'Artagnan ;b; clever.)
...I'm just talking about one particular half-written story - set in the --- Nest Ships era? --- and we discussed a subseries of stories where Sulu's command is sent around doing follow-ups on a number of planets where Kirk wrecked everything up beating the bad guy, because Sulu (and his ship) was available and he had been there the first time...
Between most of the kicking around story ideas/details took place a couple years ago, and I haven't read much Valjiir, I'm afraid to give any details I DO remember and spoil it before it's even had a beginning finished.
50th Anniversary Art Exhibition Revealedhttp://www.startrek.com/article/50th-anniversary-art-exhibition-revealed (http://www.startrek.com/article/50th-anniversary-art-exhibition-revealed)
StarTrek.com Staff March 22, 2016
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/c96969d2730baf3b12d397cd153a81bc0d3d3453.jpg)
“Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years,” a new art exhibit created to commemorate Star Trek’s 50th anniversary, will feature Star Trek-inspired works by 50 artists from 10 countries around the globe, including one by Leonard Nimoy, the franchise’s iconic Spock and a renowned photographer. The exhibit will include original 2D and 3D pieces by the artists, who selected a variety of mediums -- illustrations, photographs, sculptures, paintings, graphics and more -- to express their love of the franchise and the inspiration gained from it.
The global art exhibition will debut at Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts in San Diego’s historic Gaslight Quarter during Comic-Con, from July 21-24. Among those contributing to the collection are digital artists Joshua Budich, Rocco Malatesta, Tom Whalen, sculptor Calvin Ma, the United States Postal Service, and Leonard Nimoy.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/Budich.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Exhibition - Joshua Budich
Joshua Budich, whose piece is called “To Boldly Go,” is an independent illustrator working for numerous galleries, among them Gallery 1988, Spoke Art and Hero Complex Gallery, as well as movie studios and media outlets all over the world. Inspired by a love for the pop culture of his youth, Budich’s primary focus is on screenprints that celebrate popular movies, live-action television series, animated shows and more.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/Malatesta.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Exhibition - Rocco Malatesta
Rocco Malatesta, represented in the exhibit by “50 – Live Long and Prosper,” is an Italian freelance illustrator whose work often captures pop-culture imagery from movies and television, and frequently encompasses alternate posters. Malatesta, who currently lives in Germany, decided at age 13 that he’d make his living as a graphic designer and through hard work, talent and perseverance, he’s done precisely that.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/Ma.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Exhibition - Calvin Ma
Calvin Ma, whose exhibit contribution is “Home Is Where The Journey Is,” hails from San Francisco and still lives there today. A sculptor who utilizes the action-figure form in his sculptural work in order to explore personal struggles with social anxiety, he has won numerous awards, including 1st Place at the City of Brea Art Gallery’s ACGA National Clay & Glass Exhibition, and has been represented at more than 40 exhibitions and solo shows.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/USPS.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Exhibition - US Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is represented by “Star Trek Commemorative Stamps,” designed by The Heads of State, a/k/a Jason Kernevich and Dustin Summers. As co-creative directors, they've created award-winning posters, book covers, branding and illustrations for a diverse and impressive list of clients. They lecture frequently about their work and process and teach graphic design and illustration at Tyler School of Art, where they both studied.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/nimoyleonard.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Exhibition - Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Nimoy, who contributed the piece “Hand in Vulcan Gesture,” was an actor, writer, producer, poet, host, patron of the arts and Star Trek’s iconic and beloved Spock. But he was also accomplished lifelong photographer who published several books of his photography and exhibited at galleries and museums worldwide. His three acclaimed books of photography were titled "Secret Selves", "The Fully Body Project" and "Shekhina." “Hand in Vulcan Gesture,” his piece for the exhibit, is a haunting, multi-color depiction of the Vulcan salute that rings particularly poignant given his passing in February 2015.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/Whalen.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Exhibition - Tom Whalen
Tom Whalen, who contributed “U.S.S. Enterprise Spec Sheet,” is an illustrator and designer whose work has been seen on comic book racks, gallery walls, department store shelves and in magazine spreads. He is known for crafting his illustrations with a strong sense of design and has an instantly recognizable graphic style.
Star Trek fans can see the names of all 50 artists contributing to the exhibit, as well as learn more about the artists referenced above at StarTrek50Art.com.
Following the San Diego premiere, “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” will beam to Star Trek Las Vegas in August and the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto from mid-August to early September, before heading to the UK for the Destination Star Trek Europe convention in October and continuing its worldwide tour through August 2017.
Beyond the traveling exhibit itself, the artwork featured in “Star Trek: 50 Artists. 50 Years.” will be represented in a consumer products collection that will be available at retail following its debut in July. Elements will include an eye-catching coffee table book from Titan Publishing and calendars from Rizzoli that are now available for pre-order, as well as trading cards, apparel, accessories, glassware, posters, stationery and prints.
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/Rizzoli.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Calendar by Rizzoli
(http://www.startrek.com/uploads/assets/articles/ST50-Art-Book.jpg)
Star Trek 50 Artists 50 Years Art Book by Titan Publishing
More than 20 partners are on board and they will offer products set to roll out across the US, Europe, Canada, Australia and other territories around the world.
Keep an eye on StarTrek50Art.com in the coming weeks for ongoing reveals of other pieces in the exhibit.
Last night I got to wondering if the magic that is Photoshop would allow me to pull off an "Ensign Kirk" flashback. Not a whole issue, mind you. Just a few pages.Not bad at all, but he missed a pretty basic trick - obvious, considering who. Stay tuned; I'm gonna have a run at making Ensign Kirk even younger...
(http://www.byrnerobotics.com/forum/uploads/JohnByrne2/2016-03-30_053707_shoreleavehd077.jpg)
My big concern would be ending up with those plastic mask faces we see in movies these days, when attempts are made to "youthify" old actors.
Uno, I figure you'll have a serious look at my live review - I'd like your reaction, especially to my suggestion for the sandbag torso effect. There's a lifesize baby doll in the living room a lot older than I am, who's played the baby in a number of shows over the years, and the sand body has been very effective for proper heft. Feeling sorta realistic for the actors handling has no downside.
...His last show was a production of The Miracle Worker I was in about 18 years ago, and I saw the actress playing Mrs. Keller carrying him backstage during a show, patting his bottom and saying "There there" in a mommy voice... ;lol
Commencing Nemesis viewing.
Coulda done without the commercial for the abomination first. This is gonna suck bad enough as it is....
Uno, I figure you'll have a serious look at my live review - I'd like your reaction, especially to my suggestion for the sandbag torso effect. There's a lifesize baby doll in the living room a lot older than I am, who's played the baby in a number of shows over the years, and the sand body has been very effective for proper heft. Feeling sorta realistic for the actors handling has no downside.
...His last show was a production of The Miracle Worker I was in about 18 years ago, and I saw the actress playing Mrs. Keller carrying him backstage during a show, patting his bottom and saying "There there" in a mommy voice... ;lolCommencing Nemesis viewing.
Coulda done without the commercial for the abomination first. This is gonna suck bad enough as it is....
Yyyyep.I think that was my takeaway on the whole thing. Let Frakes direct the movie and it might not have been half bad.
---
1:02:59 (Picard and Data just escaped the Scimitar in an over-obvious action sequence)
You know - this so far isn't a terrible, terrible story -the extra little action movie bit I just sat through aside- the important failures are all ones of execution. Sure, the script could have used some more polishing (read: been made less stupid and 25% shorter), but the real problems are all in FX, timing, over-gratuitous over-obviousness of the ACTION! scenes inserted, and a miscast guest villain actor who thinks acting Shinzon as if he was doing hacky Shakespeare is the right part-reading for a Picard clone who is supposed to resemble a young Picard - when he makes a drunken undead William Shatner playing dinner theater Richard the Third to a house of four (booing) in Hackensack look like Laurence Olivier playing Lear before the Queen at the Royal Albert Hall at the peak of his powers, not Stewart as Picard at all. Timing is everything, especially in a flawed production. And the movie slams into slow motion every second he's on the screen, and a professional director let him do it. -Probably TOLD him to.
15:09 (Collecting android parts)
Theycouldshould have rigged some bag of sand effect with the torso - it was too stiff for such a sophisticated component, and Worf picked it up like it was three pounds of styrofoam, which it surely was, mostly. Fifty pounds of sand around the frame with the rest of the stuffing, and it would flex slightly in the middle and make Michael Dorn grunt slightly hefting it. This is FX 101 stuff, folks, and some professionals with a feature film budget failed. -All the exposed parts laying there active is beyond lame, too.
PHAIL.
This shot makes me feel really sad:Let me underline: this photo struck me profoundly on first sight. It looks like old Kirk, not Bill Shatner in his long decline.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VlmHNP9So5Y/SnHrhY_X5SI/AAAAAAAACgQ/vsq8o8awAro/s1600/http+_cgi.ebay.com_ws_eBayISAPI.dll+VISuperSize%26item%3D380142621154.jpg)
I can't find when it was taken, but looking at his nose, not earlier than the 90s, I think. It's incredible how much difference the right hair makes, is all. Why couldn't the movies have given us an old Kirk who looked like Kirk?
Everything You Never Knew About 'Star Trek,' Spock and Leonard Nimoyhttps://gma.yahoo.com/everything-never-knew-star-trek-spock-leonard-nimoy-153526783--abc-news-celebrities.html (https://gma.yahoo.com/everything-never-knew-star-trek-spock-leonard-nimoy-153526783--abc-news-celebrities.html)
Good Morning America
By MICHAEL ROTHMAN 1 hour ago
(https://s.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/0gYsmm6uFxT8WVwPr.qKcA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztmaT1maWxsO2g9NTQwO2lsPXBsYW5lO3B5b2ZmPTA7cT03NTt3PTk2MA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/gma/us.abcnews.gma.com/GTY_star_trek_01_mm_160419_16x9_992.jpg)
Adam Nimoy lost his father, Leonard, right in the middle of filming what was supposed to be a celebration of "Star Trek's" 50th anniversary and its influence on pop culture to this very day.
Nimoy died at the age of 83 in February 2015 and Adam had to not only grieve, but figure out what direction he wanted his film to take. He eventually turned it into a love letter to the man who millions knew simply as Mr. Spock.
Though he told ABC News at the film's Tribeca Film Festival premiere that his relationship with his father was certainly "complicated and fascinating," the outpouring of emotion from fans all over the world really compelled him to move forward with "For the Love of Spock."
"My stepmother [Susan Bay], said I needed to include my own perspective, my own story, my own journey with my dad," Nimoy continued, "which had a lot of ups and downs, but ended on a good note. We thought it was a story worth telling to make the film unique."
Even Nimoy himself, 59, said he learned things about his father from directing the picture. So, without further ado, here is what you may not know about Spock, Leonard and "Star Trek," as told by Adam and others in his touching film.
Leonard's Parents Were Against Him Acting
The film explains that his parents grew up during the Great Depression and were "grief stricken" when he told them he wanted to study drama.
Leonard Focused on His Career When Adam and Julie Were Young
Julie was also featured in the doc and said he would often sleep on his couch on the set and never turned down appearances, because he didn't want to see his family struggle.
He also really took the role of Spock seriously, his children said. He would come home, eat and run lines with his wife. But being Spock, he wasn't the warmest father. He was quiet and remote, Julie added.
Spock Was Created With Nimoy in Mind
He thought he was auditioning for the original "Star Trek" series in the 1960's, but he realized that the creator was actually "selling" him on taking the job.
Nimoy added in the film that prior to "Star Trek," he never had a job that lasted longer than two weeks.
The First "Star Trek" Pilot Was a Failure
But they ordered a second pilot and replaced the entire cast except for Nimoy. The original captain was Jeffrey Hunter, not William Shatner. Nimoy said Shatner just had more energy and was the Yin to Spock's Yang.
No Color TV
The night of the "Star Trek" premiere in September 1966, Adam said he had to go watch at a friend's house, because the Nimoys didn't have a color TV back then.
Nimoy's View of Spock
Nimoy said he didn't play a man without emotions, but played a character who tried to keep his emotions in check. He said he was influenced by Harry Belafonte.
He watched him perform and how he just stood there with his hands at his sides. But when he made any gesture, the crowd lost its minds. That really got Nimoy's attention.
The Vulcan Grip
This was Nimoy's idea. Originally, he was supposed to hit Captain Kirk with the butt of a gun, but Nimoy thought they needed something better. Shatner sold the move and the rest is cinematic history.
The Vulcan Greeting
Nimoy spent his childhood going to synagogue for the High Holidays and he saw some of the symbols used during the chants, including one with the hands. It was in the shape of the Hebrew letter for Shin. That ended up being what he went with and within days of the series airing on TV, Nimoy said fans started using the greeting with him on the street.
The Fans
Nimoy didn't know "Star Trek" was going to be such a hit, so his address and number were published. Big mistake. Trucks had to come eventually, Adam said, delivering loads of letters and fans would stop by the house to see if they could meet Leonard or take a souvenir.
Diversity Important to Leonard
When the casting for the "Star Trek" animated series took place in the 70's, George Takei and Nichelle Nichols were left off the cast. Nimoy refused to move forward without his former colleagues from the original show.
"It says a lot about Leonard," Takei said on the doc.
"Star Trek: The Motion Picture"
After Henry Fonda gave Leonard a heads up about Spock's likeness being marketed by the studio, he filed suit. The studio settled and even asked Nimoy to be in the 1979 film.
Nimoy said a check arrived at the house and a script an hour later.
Directing
At first, producers tried to talk Nimoy out of directing "Star Trek 3," but with its success, he directed the next one.
His children say "Star Trek: The Voyage Home" was one of the heights of his career. Then came "Three Men and a Baby."
A Low Point
After Nimoy directed "The Good Mother" in 1988, it was a box office failure, and at the same time, Adam said their relationship hit an all-time low. Leonard's parents also passed around that time and he went through his divorce with his first wife, Sandra.
"He was also drinking and I was getting high at the time," Adam said.
Recovery
After marrying Susan in 1989, Leonard kept drinking and realized he needed to seek recovery for his alcoholism. He started drinking on the set of the original series and admitted it slowly got worse and worse over time. Eventually, Adam would seek his own recovery, he said in the film.
The Rebirth of "Star Trek"
Adam said working with J.J. Abrams was yet another high point in his life, as the famed director rebooted the series in a new direction.
Abrams shared a personal story in the documentary, where Leonard fell while filming and broke his nose.
"When you've wounded Spock you want to kill yourself," he said. But Nimoy wanted to keep shooting.
"Is he out of his f----- mind, he just broke his nose," Abrams said.
Adam and Leonard
After being estranged years earlier, Adam and Leonard reconnected in 2008 and started to talk again. After Adam's wife Martha was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the first phone call he made was to his dad.
"It overwhelms me now that we could get to that point," Adam said. "After that, my dad and I never looked back at wreckage from the past."
Leonard Died a Family Man
The movie ends with how happy the movie icon was being with his family. He said he used to major in career and minor in family. That changed before he passed on Feb. 27, 2015.
For more information or movie times and where you can see "For the Love of Spock," visit the website at FortheLoveofSpock.com (http://www.fortheloveofspock.com/).
Federation Falling? CBS brings a halt to crowdfunding of the Star Trek Horizon sequel – Does this signal the end of fan films?http://trekmovie.com/2016/04/21/federation-falling-cbs-brings-a-halt-to-crowdfunding-of-the-star-trek-horizon-sequel-does-this-signal-the-end-of-fan-films/ (http://trekmovie.com/2016/04/21/federation-falling-cbs-brings-a-halt-to-crowdfunding-of-the-star-trek-horizon-sequel-does-this-signal-the-end-of-fan-films/)
TrekMovie.com
by Carlos Pedraza, April 21, 2016
(http://scifanatic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/horizon_cover-480x220.png)
The Axanar copyright lawsuit has just claimed its first casualty: Not Axanar itself (yet), but the sequel to the recently released — and well-received — Star Trek – Horizon. Does this signal the end of all Star Trek fan films?
The Horizon sequel, Federation Rising, was due to begin a crowdfunding campaign on Saturday, April 23, but a call from CBS to creator Tommy Kraft has ended that. And it appears to be Axanar’s fault.
In a lengthy post to the Star Trek – Horizon Facebook page, Kraft wrote:QuoteExecutives from CBS reached out to me and advised me that their legal team strongly suggested that we do not move forward with plans to create a sequel to Horizon. While this is a sign of the current climate that we find ourselves in with Star Trek fan films, I want to personally thank CBS for reaching out to me, rather than including us in their ongoing lawsuit against Axanar.
At the heart of that lawsuit, of course, are the Star Trek copyrights owned by CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures, under dispute while the studios litigate against Axanar Productions and its owner, Alec Peters.
(http://scifanatic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/image-1-480x249.jpeg)
Tommy Kraft on the set of his first fan film, the well-received Star Trek–Horizon.
The typical course of action in Kraft’s situation, would have been for CBS to issue a cease-and-desist (or C&D) letter, advising him to stop the offending action or face formal legal action. But Kraft appeared to get surprisingly kinder, gentler treatment. He said:QuoteIt was conveyed that the reason CBS was reaching out to me was due to the legal troubles stemming from the Axanar case. Again, CBS did not have to reach out personally. The message I received felt more like they were giving me a heads up before we got too involved in another project, rather than a group of angry executives swinging a hammer.
The rest of Kraft’s Facebook post goes on to describe an alternate, original science fiction project he will instead develop for its own crowdfunding effort.
What it Doesn’t Mean
Perhaps the best way to figure out what CBS’ move means is to examine what it doesn’t mean. For example, CBS didn’t issue a C&D or threaten further litigation. They instead framed the notice as coming, not from CBS executives themselves, but on the ‘strong suggestion’ of their legal team at Loeb & Loeb.
Parsing CBS’ Suggestion
Breaking down what Kraft said CBS told him may illuminate the implications of this move.
CBS ‘reached out to advise’
Corporations usually demand. The kid gloves — especially since the move was prompted by lawyers — mean something. This is not the way executives (or lawyers, for that matter) act when they want to destroy something. It’s the way they act when they’re trying to keep matters from getting out of hand. This comports with Kraft’s comment that the message “felt more like they were giving me a heads up … rather than a group of angry executives swinging a hammer.”
(http://scifanatic.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/jonathanzavin2.jpg)
Loeb & Loeb’s lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Jonathan Zavin, has defended Star Trek’s copyrights before.
‘Their legal team strongly suggested’
While there have been murmurings that some executives within CBS want to do away with fan films because now they’re consuming valuable resources without returning much to the studios, the impetus for Horizon’s shutdown isn’t coming from them, it’s coming from their lawyers. And not corporate counsel but the legal team fighting Axanar. We know this because…
CBS was reaching out because of ‘the legal troubles stemming from the Axanar case’
CBS and Paramount haven’t been relying on their in-house lawyers. They went for powerhouse intellectual property attorneys at Loeb, led by Jonathan Zavin, who has tried cases like this before, including defending Star Trek’s copyrights.
What Might it Actually Mean?
A bit more challenging is sussing out what CBS is actually trying to accomplish by “suggesting” to Kraft that he shut down his sequel before he “got too involved in another [Star Trek] project.”
An important part of Axanar’s narrative in response to the lawsuit has been its insistence that the case:
•Isn’t about money.
•Is only about copyright.
To that end, Axanar has, since the onset of the suit, sought to liken itself to other fan films, but emphasizing that it’s more original, using fewer Star Trek copyrighted elements than the others. Director Robert Meyer Burnett said:QuoteThe problem with [other] Star Trek fan films is they’re trying to recreate Star Trek. As good as their productions might be … you’re still watching actors that aren’t Kirk, Spock and McCoy. While they painstakingly recreate the bridge or the props and everything, you know you’re not watching real Star Trek.
The more unique Axanar is, the more reasonable a lawsuit against it might seem. The more alike to other fan films, the more they’re all threatened by the outcome of the case. This move by CBS seems to move in the direction of the latter — except the timing of CBS’ intervention with Kraft’s production may be significant.
Parsing CBS’ Goals
‘The message felt more like a heads up before we got too involved in another project’
Kraft was literally a couple days away from beginning the Kickstarter campaign for Federation Rising. If CBS’ objective was truly to shut down all fan films, why not simply C&D all of them? No. They chose one, the one about to embark on a quarter-million-dollar crowdfunding effort, and they asked — they suggested — he stop.
Everyone infringes
Almost by definition, all fan films infringe. Intellectual property lawyer Mary Ellen Tomazic calls it “tolerated use,” in which copyright holders turn a blind eye so long as the project doesn’t commercialize their intellectual property. This has been going on for decades, tolerated with few problems.
Until crowdfunding
Suddenly, fan producers had access to what has become millions of dollars for their productions. “Sometimes a good thing can’t last,” writes Jonathan Bailey in an article, “How Money and Fame Have Changed Fan Fiction,” on his website, Plagiarism Today:QuoteThe truth is that Axanar may be a turning point in the relationship between rightsholders and fan fiction creators, a relationship that’s about to get a lot more complex. … The battle lines were being redrawn and the reason was because the Internet was, slowly, turning fan fiction and fan art into big business.
Tomazic, writing in her blog, “Intellectual Property Law: Fan Films – Breaking the Unwritten Rules and Defining Profit,” states that fan works like Axanar can’t avoid money issues:QuoteThe case revolves around what “profiting” from a fan film includes — can a filmmaker hire actors, set designers and build out a studio with crowdfunded money to make a “fan” film? Can he pay himself a salary from the funds? Paramount and CBS say no, deciding that this Axanar movie is no fan film but a competing product made from their copyrights and trademarks. The lawsuit is their way of reining in their previous tolerance of unlicensed use of their intellectual property, and protecting their legal rights under federal law.
Rules for the Future
The eventual impact of this case, according to Tomazic, may well limit what true fan productions can do in the future:QuoteThe Axanar lawsuit should serve as a cautionary tale for all fan film makers, as it will most likely result in strongly stated and probably strict parameters being set by other rights holders for future tolerated use of their intellectual property. Peters, by going too far in making a film that was no longer a fan film but a low-budget film with paid professionals competing with Star Trek works, crossed that line. He may have made it more difficult for fans to pay homage to their favorite movies with a lovingly crafted but still unauthorized work.
Indeed, Axanar producer Alec Peters had asked CBS and Paramount to more rigidly define what fan productions can and cannot do. Bailey, however, believes that is not likely to happen:QuoteA fan creation [may] comply with the letter of the law but still be undesirable or even harmful to the original creation. … Rightsholders, almost universally, want flexibility when it comes to dealing with fan creations and, with that flexibility, comes uncertainty. We’re not likely to see many rightsholders laying down hard rules, save in specific areas, and that is going to create a great deal more fan-creator conflicts in the near future.
So what new restrictions may lie within Bailey’s “specific areas” that may overlap with Tomazic’s new “strict parameters”?
The End of Crowdfunding
“The love of money,” the Bible tells us, “is the root of all evil.” This may end up as the precept behind what CBS and Paramount impose on fan productions. Crowdfunding presents the studios with difficult problems for them to get over:
1.Relative ease — it’s as easy as having a good idea and a well-planned campaign.
2.Lack of accountability — as Axanar and other crowdfunded projects have demonstrated, crowdfunding success can transmogrify into mission creep, ballooning costs and questionable spending.
3.Others earning profits — it’s not just productions themselves (like Axanar’s putative movie studio and extensive merchandise sales), but the crowdfunding platforms (e.g., Indiegogo and Kickstarter) who earn a percentage from funds raised by projects using unlicensed intellectual property.
The crowdfunding platforms have policies in place that supposedly prohibit projects that use intellectual property to which they don’t have rights, but both Kickstarter and Indiegogo appear to have ignored their own rules. They both wooed Axanar because it had proven it could raise big money; they turned a blind eye to Axanar’s explicit admission that it did not have the backing of the copyright holders in producing its Star Trek film.
In the long term, by focusing on the crowdfunding platforms, the studios can continue to keep their hands-off policy with fan films. By threatening Indiegogo and Kickstarter with legal action if they don’t police unlicensed use of their intellectual property on their platforms, the studios choke off the most problematic aspects of fan films, the ones that stem from unrestricted crowdfunding.
This action, if it is indeed the studios’ goal, resets fan films to a simpler time, when costs prohibited them from threatening Star Trek’s copyrights in any meaningful way that can’t be handled with C&Ds. Axanar’s fundraising success had put it in a new category: A fan film with lots of cash on hand. No C&D could, by itself, deal with the reality of that money. A lawsuit provided the only instrument to address the hundreds of thousands of dollars Axanar still had on hand while its film continued to be postponed, as well as the way hundreds of thousands more had already been spent as seed funding for the company’s commercial ventures.
Where do other fan films go from here? Their territory remains uncharted.[/size]
? Nothing about it leaps out at me...Probably just the matter of them being lazy like the new Star Wars (which had the wrong font and wrong method) film and forgetting that the original didn't just computer add the font over your digital film, but shot the font and overlapped the negatives, which gives a nuance to the writing digital can't produce.
Mr. Yelchin was struck by his own car as it rolled backward down his driveway in Studio City, the police said. The car pinned Mr. Yelchin against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence.
... TMZ has reported, citing the Los Angeles Police Department, that when friends discovered Yelchin’s body, they found his car — a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee — idling in neutral.
The automotive blog Jalopnik reported Monday that the Jeep was one of 1.1 million vehicles that were recalled in April because of a confusing gear shifter that could cause the car to roll away unexpectedly,
Last year, NHTSA began investigating the unconventional gearstick design on these cars, which was causing crashes because drivers were mistakenly shifting to neutral when they thought they were shifting to park.
...
These cars use a “monostable electronic gearshift assembly,” which resembles an arcade joystick. To shift gears, drivers push the gearstick forward or backward and hold it there until the change registers on the display. Drivers then release the gearstick, which springs back into its centered position.
Star Trek Fan Film Guidelines Announced- See more at: http://www.startrek.com/article/star-trek-fan-film-guidelines-announced#sthash.hnuohUjr.dpuf (http://www.startrek.com/article/star-trek-fan-film-guidelines-announced#sthash.hnuohUjr.dpuf)
CBS & Paramount
June 23, 2016
Dear Star Trek fans,
Star Trek fandom is like no other.
Your support, enthusiasm and passion are the reasons that Star Trek has flourished for five decades and will continue long into the future. You are the reason the original Star Trek series was rescued and renewed in 1968, and the reason it has endured as an iconic and multi-generational phenomenon that has spawned seven television series and 13 movies.
Throughout the years, many of you have expressed your love for the franchise through creative endeavors such as fan films. So today, we want to show our appreciation by bringing fan films back to their roots.
The heart of these fan films has always been about expressing one’s love and passion for Star Trek. They have been about fan creativity and sharing unique stories with other fans to show admiration for the TV shows and movies. These films are a labor of love for any fan with desire, imagination and a camera.
We want to support this innovation and encourage celebrations of this beloved cultural phenomenon. It is with this perspective in mind that we are introducing a set of guidelines at Star Trek Fan Films.
Thank you for your ongoing and steadfast enthusiasm and support, which ensure that Star Trek will continue to inspire generations to come.
CBS and Paramount Pictures
Fan Filmshttp://www.startrek.com/fan-films (http://www.startrek.com/fan-films)
CBS and Paramount Pictures are big believers in reasonable fan fiction and fan creativity, and, in particular, want amateur fan filmmakers to showcase their passion for Star Trek. Therefore, CBS and Paramount Pictures will not object to, or take legal action against, Star Trek fan productions that are non-professional and amateur and meet the following guidelines.
Guidelines for Avoiding Objections:
1.The fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.
2.The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name “Star Trek.” However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A STAR TREK FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production.
3.The content in the fan production must be original, not reproductions, recreations or clips from any Star Trek production. If non-Star Trek third party content is used, all necessary permissions for any third party content should be obtained in writing.
4.If the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.
5.The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.
6.The fan production must be non-commercial:
•CBS and Paramount Pictures do not object to limited fundraising for the creation of a fan production, whether 1 or 2 segments and consistent with these guidelines, so long as the total amount does not exceed $50,000, including all platform fees, and when the $50,000 goal is reached, all fundraising must cease.
•The fan production must only be exhibited or distributed on a no-charge basis and/or shared via streaming services without generating revenue.
•The fan production cannot be distributed in a physical format such as DVD or Blu-ray.
•The fan production cannot be used to derive advertising revenue including, but not limited to, through for example, the use of pre or post-roll advertising, click-through advertising banners, that is associated with the fan production.
•No unlicensed Star Trek-related or fan production-related merchandise or services can be offered for sale or given away as premiums, perks or rewards or in connection with the fan production fundraising.
•The fan production cannot derive revenue by selling or licensing fan-created production sets, props or costumes.
7.The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy.
8.The fan production must display the following disclaimer in the on-screen credits of the fan productions and on any marketing material including the fan production website or page hosting the fan production:
“Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.”
9.Creators of fan productions must not seek to register their works, nor any elements of the works, under copyright or trademark law.
10.Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures.
CBS and Paramount Pictures reserve the right to revise, revoke and/or withdraw these guidelines at any time in their own discretion. These guidelines are not a license and do not constitute approval or authorization of any fan productions or a waiver of any rights that CBS or Paramount Pictures may have with respect to fan fiction created outside of these guidelines.
CBS/Paramount Issue Guidelines for Star Trek Fan Films Because Axanar Ruined It for Everyone
The Mary Sue
by Teresa Jusino | 5:49 pm, June 24th, 2016
(http://static02.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2016/05/New-Star-Trek-logo-650x343.jpg)
There have been Star Trek fan films for decades without any trouble. So, why is CBS/Paramount suddenly issuing really strict guidelines for fan films now? Because one entitled fan effort ruined it for everyone. That effort is called Axanar.
First things first, fan art of all kinds is awesome. Regardless of its quality, stuff like fan fiction, cosplay, geek music (‘sup Chameleon Circuit!), and fan films are amazing, because they allow fans to express their deep love of a story or character while also exercising their creativity muscles. Win-win. You don’t have to be a lawyer to understand that, as a fan, the property that you’re using to create new art does not belong to you. Which is generally fine, unless you’re trying to profit from it in some way. Otherwise, most studios don’t care about, and even encourage fan art, because it’s basically free marketing.
The crowdfunded Star Trek feature-length fan film Axanar started life as a short called Prelude to Axanar, which looks freaking incredible and managed to wrangle a top-notch cast including folks like Richard Hatch, Gary Graham, and BSG’s . They then used that short to raise money for a feature-length Axanar film. So far, so good. You’re allowed to raise money for the thing you’re creating, as long as you’re not profiting from it financially in any way. The team behind Axanar seemed to understand this during their second crowdfund at IndieGoGo:
You may have heard about CBS/Paramount subsequently suing the Axanar team, led by Executive Producer Alec Peters, over the film. As fans, you may have started to feel righteous outrage over it. However, there are some things to think about. According to Chris Murray at The Ego Factor, “rather than, “hey bud. Sorry about that. My bad,” Peters countersued CBS trying to allege that among other things, they didn’t own the copyright to Vulcan ears. This lawsuit by the way, was also paid for using funds from the original crowdsourcing.”http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-fan-film-guidelines/ (http://www.themarysue.com/star-trek-fan-film-guidelines/)
What’s more, “Fans who had paid for a new Star Trek film, were instead paying for a new studio, Peters wages (some $30-40k per annum if I recall, but don’t quote me), and the frivolous lawsuit he winged at CBS to divert attention from the fact that he’d [allegedly] broken the law.”
Here’s the thing, paying oneself as part of a production is standard. If you’re working on a film or show, you should be paid for your work, and that’s built into the budget. Getting a producer fee, a director fee, or a crew/actor fee is totally within the realm of appropriate. But a yearly salary? For a fan film that you’re supposedly doing “on the side” while you live the rest of your life because you’re not an actual employee of Star Trek, CBS, or Paramount so clearly you must have another job?
You may notice in the IndieGoGo video above, when talking about the sound stage that they built for Axanar, that Peters says they’ve “been retrofitting this facility so that it can be a soundstage that we use for years to come.” Years to come? That’s not Axanar, then. So, this crowdfunded money is also supporting future projects? Which ones? Will you be making money on those? Are you using a slick Star Trek film as a lure to get people to fund your production company? Why didn’t you just, I don’t know, crowdfund your production company? People totally do that and are, you know, honest about it! Meanwhile, their crowdfunding campaigns claim to be “all about transparency.”
Instead, the Axanar team has relied on a teesny-weensy fans vs the Big Bad Corporation narrative to deflect from the fact that they may have, I don’t know, [messed up - or loved very much] up, and they’ve managed to convince J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin of that narrative, too. Though honestly, I’m sure that Abrams and Lin are more interested in heading-off possible fan resentment of the franchise with Star Trek Beyond on the horizon than they are in protecting a questionable fan effort.
(http://static02.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/2016/06/alec-peters-garth-of-izar-533x800.jpg)
But this isn’t a case of “David and Goliath,” it’s a case of “Goliath and Goliath,” except one of the Goliaths is pissed off that they can’t get paid. Peters and Co. have yet to address the specifics of why a lawsuit was brought against them in the first place, and have made no move to explain their use of the crowdfunded money in detail except where it concerns “the production.” Another reason I’m not crying for them, Argentina? They’re making this film with not only professional, established actors, but professional, established crew, many of whom have experience working on Star Trek. If you want me to buy that you’re this widdle-biddy fan effort, perhaps I shouldn’t be seeing the fact that you apparently have access to a certain level of talent in Hollywood somehow. At a certain point, that’s not showing off “fan creativity,” that’s a fan hiring professionals to create the illusion of creativity. I’m sure the script Peters wrote is great, but a script alone does not a “fan film” make, and if you’re using ringers to make your film…what’s the cut-off for an actual fan effort?
Now, the lawsuit may indeed be coming to an end, but in order to teach the Anaxar team a lesson, as well as to remind fans that just because they love a thing doesn’t mean they’re entitled to use it however they want if they didn’t make it, CBS/Paramount released a series of guidelines for Star Trek fan films intended to, according to their official release, “support this innovation and encourage celebrations of this beloved cultural phenomenon” while also protecting Star Trek as an intellectual property. They are:QuoteThe fan production must be less than 15 minutes for a single self-contained story, or no more than 2 segments, episodes or parts, not to exceed 30 minutes total, with no additional seasons, episodes, parts, sequels or remakes.
The title of the fan production or any parts cannot include the name Star Trek. However, the title must contain a subtitle with the phrase: “A STAR TREK FAN PRODUCTION” in plain typeface. The fan production cannot use the term “official” in either its title or subtitle or in any marketing, promotions or social media for the fan production.
The content in the fan production must be original, not reproductions, recreations or clips from any Star Trek production. If non-Star Trek third party content is used, all necessary permissions for any third party content should be obtained in writing.
If the fan production uses commercially-available Star Trek uniforms, accessories, toys and props, these items must be official merchandise and not bootleg items or imitations of such commercially available products.
The fan production must be a real “fan” production, i.e., creators, actors and all other participants must be amateurs, cannot be compensated for their services, and cannot be currently or previously employed on any Star Trek series, films, production of DVDs or with any of CBS or Paramount Pictures’ licensees.
The fan production must be non-commercial:
•CBS and Paramount Pictures do not object to limited fundraising for the creation of a fan production, whether 1 or 2 segments and consistent with these guidelines, so long as the total amount does not exceed $50,000, including all platform fees, and when the $50,000 goal is reached, all fundraising must cease.
•The fan production must only be exhibited or distributed on a no-charge basis and/or shared via streaming services without generating revenue.
•The fan production cannot be distributed in a physical format such as DVD or Blu-ray.
•The fan production cannot be used to derive advertising revenue including, but not limited to, through for example, the use of pre or post-roll advertising, click-through advertising banners, that is associated with the fan production.
•No unlicensed Star Trek-related or fan production-related merchandise or services can be offered for sale or given away as premiums, perks or rewards or in connection with the fan production fundraising.
•The fan production cannot derive revenue by selling or licensing fan-created production sets, props or costumes.
The fan production must be family friendly and suitable for public presentation. Videos must not include profanity, nudity, obscenity, pornography, depictions of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or any harmful or illegal activity, or any material that is offensive, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, disparaging, sexually explicit, threatening, hateful, or any other inappropriate content. The content of the fan production cannot violate any individual’s right of privacy.
The fan production must display the following disclaimer in the on-screen credits of the fan productions and on any marketing material including the fan production website or page hosting the fan production:
“Star Trek and all related marks, logos and characters are solely owned by CBS Studios Inc. This fan production is not endorsed by, sponsored by, nor affiliated with CBS, Paramount Pictures, or any other Star Trek franchise, and is a non-commercial fan-made film intended for recreational use. No commercial exhibition or distribution is permitted. No alleged independent rights will be asserted against CBS or Paramount Pictures.”
Creators of fan productions must not seek to register their works, nor any elements of the works, under copyright or trademark law.
Fan productions cannot create or imply any association or endorsement by CBS or Paramount Pictures.
Simple, easy-to-understand fan guidelines like this are long overdue, and it won’t be long before other studios follow suit, I’m sure. Of all the guidelines here, the one that hurts the most is that no professionals can be involved. While I raise the point above that, if you’re using a significant number of professionals in your production it ceases to be a “fan” effort, there’s also something to be said for the fact that professionals can also be fans, and it can be cool for someone like Gary Graham or Richard Hatch to play in an independent sandbox every now and again. To deny them that opportunity seems cruel. Perhaps they should rethink this to something like “no more than three roles/positions can be taken up by a professional,” or something.
The time limit is also a bummer. Then again, if you can only raise $50,000 to make the project (which isn’t exactly chump change), that’s about as far as that amount will take you if you don’t want it to look like total garbage. And this also doesn’t stop people from creating different Star Trek fan fictions. It just means that one story can’t be longer than half an hour. So stories have to be more self-contained? So what? Anthology series are all the rage these days anyway!
All the other guidelines, I get, despite Team Axanar calling them “draconian.” No, you can’t make your own merch to sell. That’s profiting off someone else’s property, even if the merch you’re selling has an originally designed logo on it. No, you can’t make your own version of a thing that’s already commercially available. These things make sense, because Star Trek, and everything associated with it, belongs to someone (in this case, a company of someones). You don’t show something how much you “love” it by stealing from it. That’s like showing your neighbors you love them by robbing their house and selling the stuff they bought at the mall on your lawn in a garage sale. Then getting mad at your neighbor for pressing charges, because that’s how you show love.
I’m a fan, and I’m a creator. And as a fan who wants to someday create something worthy of fan love, I understand that these guidelines are important. And as a future creator who’s also a fan, I understand that true fan creativity has nothing to do with “screen accuracy” or being able to use a logo. The best creativity comes from finding the workarounds and coming up with less expensive alternatives, not throwing money at the screen and demanding the use of certain things.
To draw a parallel to another major franchise, the reason why Star Wars was so good was that George Lucas, as a relatively new filmmaker, was constantly being told no. He had a smaller budget than he would’ve liked. He had to come up with alternatives. And it started a decades-old franchise!
Most fans understand this. Most fans don’t have access to Hollywood genre heavyweights. Most fans don’t raise over $1M, having the luxury of having “extra money” to funnel into future production dreams. Most fans are capable of being creative anyway.
(via The Daily Dot, images via CBS/Paramount and the Anaxar website)
Star Trek Fan film Guidelines (http://www.peterdavid.net/2016/06/24/star-trek-fan-film-guidelines/)So thanks mostly to the efforts of the “Axanar” people, the guys who raised a million bucks to produce a “Star Trek” based film which resulted in a lawsuit, Paramount has now issued specific guidelines for anyone who wants to make a Trek fan film. And naturally fans are unhappy about it.
My response?
You guys are damned lucky.
When I was producing a “Star Trek” fanzine back in the 1970s, Paramount issued a decree: No one could write “Star Trek” fanfic. It was copyright infringement, plain and simple, and not to be allowed. At one convention I attended, Paramount lawyers actually came into the dealer’s room and confiscated peoples’ fanzines from right off their tables.
The fact that they loosened up to the degree that they have should be something fan filmmakers should feel damned grateful for. You want to make fan films about space adventures but you don’t like the Paramount decrees? Fine. Create your own damned characters and universe and do whatever the hell you want. You own the copyright and have the ability to tell any kind of story for however long you want. That’s my advice. Otherwise live with it.
PAD
Aftermath
How the New Guidelines Affect Current Fan Productions
Axamonitor
2016/06/26 03:53 by Carlos Pedraza
In the aftermath of the release by CBS and Paramount of production guidelines on June 23, 2016, stunned fan producers assessed the impact of the new restrictions on their shows.
Impact on Star Trek Fan Productions
The titles below link to each production's statement in response to the studios' new guidelines.
Absolution (https://facebook.com/TrekAbsolute/posts/1044325742317205) Awaiting clarification; temporarily suspended
Aurora (https://facebook.com/EngageTheOfficialStarTrekPodcast/posts/1060559627365676?comment_id=1061679910586981&comment_tracking=%257B%2522tn%2522%253A%2522R9%2522%257D) Awaiting clarification; temporarily suspended
Axanar (http://axamonitor.com/doku.php?id=cbs_guidelines) Continuing production; believes it has fair use immunity
Dark Armada (https://facebook.com/startrekdarkarmada/posts/10154120608887110) Awaiting clarification; temporarily suspended
Diplomatic Relations (http://www.hiddenfrontier.net/2016/06/24/star-trek-diplomatic-relations-suspends-production/) Audio drama; suspended indefinitely
Equinox (http://www.hiddenfrontier.net/2016/06/25/star-trek-equinox-suspends-production/) Suspended indefinitely
Farragut (https://facebook.com/starshipfarragut/posts/1238436229524603) Awaiting clarification
Henglaar, M.D. (http://www.hiddenfrontier.net/2016/06/24/henglaar-m-d-suspends-production/) Audio drama; suspended indefinitely
Intrepid (https://facebook.com/starshipintrepid/posts/1231179220235349) Awaiting clarification of the guidelines; temporarily suspended (exec expects indefinite suspension soon)
Lost Frontier (https://facebook.com/eric.l.busby/posts/10153672944662876) Audio drama; removing all episodes
Melbourne (https://facebook.com/groups/CBSvsAxanar/1244563558888345/?comment_tracking=%257B%2522tn%2522%253A%2522R1%2522%257D) Continuing production; believes it complies with guidelines
Nature's Hunger (https://facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1143725652345102&id=283606988356977) Continuing production; believes it complies with guidelines
Outpost (https://facebook.com/StarTrekOutpost/posts/10154938103869112) Audio drama; suspended indefinitely
Pacific 201 (https://facebook.com/pacific201/?fref=nf) Continuing production; believes it complies with guidelines
Project: Potemkin (https://facebook.com/groups/projectpotemkin/permalink/1221412274544372/) Continuing production; believes it complies with guidelines
Renegades (http://renegades.show/home/a-message-from-the-renegades-team-regarding-the-new-fan-film-guidelines/) No longer a Star Trek project; continuing production
Saladin (https://facebook.com/StarshipSaladin/posts/1056353764458876) Suspended indefinitely
Section 31 Files (https://facebook.com/eric.l.busby/posts/10153672944662876) Audio drama; removing all episodes
Starfinder (https://facebook.com/StarTrekStarfinder/posts/955344804563815) Audio drama; awaiting clarification; temporarily suspended
Star Trek: Anthology (http://axamonitor.com/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=startrekanthologyfanfilmguidelinesresponse.pdf) Suspended indefinitely
Star Trek Continues (https://facebook.com/StarTrekContinues/posts/1213715788661935) Awaiting clarification
Star Trek: The Continuing Mission (https://facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1142966882418257&id=748221318559484) Audio drama; suspended indefinitely
Star Trek: New Voyages/Phase II (http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/new-voyages-site-update.280907/#post-11599179) Website down, official status unknown (likely suspended indefinitely)
Star Trek: Shadows of Tyranny (https://facebook.com/shadowsoftyranny/posts/1062228943871319) Audio drama; suspended indefinitely
Yorktown: A Time To Heal (https://facebook.com/EngageTheOfficialStarTrekPodcast/posts/1060559627365676?comment_id=1061061763982129&comment_tracking=%257B%2522tn%2522%253A%2522R9%2522%257D) Awaiting clarification; temporarily suspended
Special thanks to James Heaney for collating these responses.
At last count, there are more than 50 different shows and projects in progress, so this chart is likely to be updated.
Audio dramas may not be subject to these guidelines.
Star Trek Continues latest episode (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSFHGyLYQ-c#)I am reminded that I haven't watched this yet, and need to before it's too late, though I note that their Facebook page is sounding like they know something they're not telling and not planning to shut down right away...
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p100x100/558860_562285477138306_662827080_n.png?oh=d2fe19ac6d475d7085b63ed918fa939f&oe=581EF794) Star Trek Continues (https://www.facebook.com/StarTrekContinues/?fref=nf)
4 hrs ·
..
A message from The Captain:
Hi There, dear STC fans!
Episode VII will premiere at Salt Lake Comicon on Friday, September 2. It will then have an international screening at Fan Expo in Toronto the following day. We are awaiting further clarification, but I am optimistic about completing our planned series and I would like to ask you, our supporters, to remain optimistic with us.
THANK YOU. We have been humbled and honored beyond words by your kindness, enthusiasm and support of our series, and will continue to demonstrate the integrity and quality that have defined STC from the beginning.
Sincerely,
Vic
P.S. In the spirit of that optimism, our Planet Set is nearing completion! We at STC keep our promises. :) www.startrekcontinues.com (http://www.startrekcontinues.com)
Star Trek: Discovery Premiere Pushed to May 2017 to Preserve 'Quality' of Serieshttp://tvline.com/2016/09/14/star-trek-discovery-premiere-delay-may-2017-release-date-cbs/ (http://tvline.com/2016/09/14/star-trek-discovery-premiere-delay-may-2017-release-date-cbs/)
TVLine
By Michael Ausiello / September 14 2016, 2:06 PM PDT
(https://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/star-trek.png?w=620&h=420&crop=1)
Citing the project’s huge production demands, CBS announced Wednesday that Bryan Fuller’s anticipated reboot — initially set to bow in January — will now debut in May, with the premiere airing on CBS network before moving exclusively to CBS All Access.
In a statement, exec producers Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller said, “Bringing Star Trek back to television carries a responsibility and mission: to connect fans and newcomers alike to the series that has fed our imaginations since childhood. We aim to dream big and deliver, and that means making sure the demands of physical and post-production for a show that takes place entirely in space, and the need to meet an air date, don’t result in compromised quality. Before heading into production, we evaluated these realities with our partners at CBS and they agreed: Star Trek deserves the very best, and these extra few months will help us achieve a vision we can all be proud of.”
Adds David Stapf, President, CBS Television Studios, “The series template and episodic scripts that Alex and Bryan have delivered are incredibly vivid and compelling. They are building a new, very ambitious Star Trek world for television, and everyone involved supports their vision for the best timing to bring to life what we all love on the page.”
To fill the Q1 void for CBS All Access, the launch of the Good Wife spinoff has been moved up from from Spring 2017 to February 2017.
Q sucks
Plus Garak.
I am rewatching Star Trek the Original Series and 80% of the sets is just lighting. I am realizing how much this imprinted on me and how much of my Halloween ambience is created just by mixing coloured lights. I think anyone struggling with lighting mixes could do with a (re)watch and pay attention especially to the way they mix purples in with other colours to give an otherworldly feel.
As everything The Admiral has feared for the Confederation, begins to come to pass. As a secret cabal enacts plans for galactic dominance on a scale never before seen, The Admiral and his crack team of Renegades do everything in their power to stop them. But their enemy is more powerful than they can imagine and The Admiral is left with a decision he never wanted to make. But will the sacrifice be too great?
Renegades: The Requiem Part 2 Coming this Summer!
http://renegades.show/home/ (http://renegades.show/home/)
Please help us bring you more Renegades by donating:
http://renegades.show/home/support (http://renegades.show/home/support)
or
http://www.atomicnetwork.tv/shop/ (http://www.atomicnetwork.tv/shop/)
I think I'd bother to look into Game of Thrones and see if I thought it was good or too mean-spirited to enjoy - and I think I'd actually like Lucifer on Fox.
Anyone?I only have anti-keenness.
Star Trek Continues E10 "To Boldly Go: Part I" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCBuaTnDsQs&t=20s#)(Without getting into specifics, because spoilers)
Star Trek Continues E10 "To Boldly Go: Part I" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCBuaTnDsQs&t=20s#)(Without getting into specifics, because spoilers)
Well, this episode is Star Trek Continues all over - manages to really feel like Star Trek without being all that good. -Which is to say, the script and pacing were disappointing, like most episodes of Continues, and like most, you can see a good episode lost in there. Something about the high production values brings out the disappointment when you see the poor writing, acting and pacing...
Galaxy Quark? I heard it wasn't quite the riotous parody the pre-publicity and presence of the Family Guy guy led everyone to expect, playing it more than half-straight with a lot of funny moments mixed in. There were signs in the trailers, too, that maybe it would get it - show more understanding of Star Trek than anything using the name in along time has.
Something about the Family Guy guy just puts me off, though, and having been broken of the TV watching habit in the Texas years and now having no TV hookup in my bedroom, I just don't feel interested.
...the other two were just kinda there.
Any thoughts on The Orville?
The finale(?) was a ripoff of a Voyager episode.
Just watch the Year of Hell 2-parter if you want an example of what Voyager could/should have been.
I'm hoping they finally address why a Frenchman has an English accent.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilaire_Belloc
(does anyone wonder why these far-future people speak in twentieth-century English?)
Blake, I bet you're about to find out another part of what OG fans of real Star Trek have felt all along. You've had your 15 years in the desert with nothing; now it's time for a poor imitation/non-revival to let you down - pray that I'm wrong.
On Jan. 23, CBS All Access will debut “Star Trek: Picard,” a series in which Stewart reprises the thoughtful, cultured, bald starship captain he played for seven seasons on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and in a string of four feature films that ended in 2002. The new show is different from its predecessor in nearly every respect — texture, tone, format, production value, even the likelihood of characters dropping an f-bomb. That’s all by design. Stewart’s design.
“He is uninterested in repeating himself,” says Alex Kurtzman, the show’s creator and executive producer, and the mastermind behind CBS’ effort to not just revive “Star Trek” but also transform it into a vast narrative universe in the Marvel mold. “Everything he does is filled with innate integrity. He fights for the things he believes in. And he’s very willing to collaborate once you’re on the same wavelength.”
Lo-fi and a little quaint by today’s standards, “The Next Generation” was the most successful of any “Star Trek” television series. (The original, starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, was poorly rated and canceled by NBC after three seasons.) The show raked in Emmy nominations, minted money for Paramount Television and grew a massive following attracted to the unlikely figure of Stewart’s Picard — a Frenchman (with a posh English accent) who sips tea, reads the classics and prizes duty and honor and friendship. “The Next Generation” presented a humanist future in which issues like poverty, race and class have long been sorted out, and conflicts are more often resolved through negotiation and problem-solving than at the point of a phaser pistol.
Stewart had no desire to go there again.
“I think what we’re trying to say is important,” he says. “The world of ‘Next Generation’ doesn’t exist anymore. It’s different. Nothing is really safe. Nothing is really secure.”
“In a way, the world of ‘Next Generation’ had been too perfect and too protected,” he says. “It was the Enterprise. It was a safe world of respect and communication and care and, sometimes, fun.” In “Picard,” the Federation — a union of planets bonded by shared democratic values — has taken an isolationist turn. The new show, Stewart says, “was me responding to the world of Brexit and [Sleezebag] and feeling, ‘Why hasn’t the Federation changed? Why hasn’t Starfleet changed?’ Maybe they’re not as reliable and trustworthy as we all thought.”
Region-locked video... ;grrr
I'm not usually a stickler for spelling, but you're looking for gaffe. Gaff had me momentarily excited, thinking you were explaining how they were using practical makeup effects. Something that would get me buying all access immediately.
And if the world doesn't make sense, then what use is telling stories about it?Ask JK Rowling.
Watched the first episode on youtube. Meh.(click to show/hide)
Watched the first episode on youtube. Meh.(click to show/hide)
Yeah I and a few people were not happy about that roof top scene too.. however there's no interplanetary beaming involved and it is explained the second ep why no one seemed to notice what happened.. If you don't care about spoilers I explain more in my earlier ep2 review post here:
http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1319.msg123098#msg123098 (http://alphacentauri2.info/index.php?topic=1319.msg123098#msg123098)
(click to show/hide)
Well, Odo's makeup is bad on purpose. ;)
And this is Star Trek Picard baby!!
Bah, this whole scene was rife with errors.
What asteroid would double a velocity dozens of meters/sec (squared) in a mere dozen seconds? We're talking about a rock perhaps twice the size of the Enterprise, with way less density.
A space katana.
I'd also thrown out that I think Shatner was a somewhat better actor than he gets credit for, and two other people made joke replies, which was good enough for me to react with:
At the risk of being flogged, TOS really DOESN'T have good writing or directing.Eh, the writing varied, especially by season. Some of it was excellent.
My mom is/was a huge Trekkie, but at one point in my childhood I recall her tuning into some Star Trek rerun (it was one where a glowing alien light-ball entity had invaded the Enterprise or some such) and McCoy growled a line about people "having atrocities committed on their persons." It was such a wooden line, uttered so intensely, that Mom cracked up with everyone else.Day of the Dove. Swordfights in the corridors with Klingons, yes?